Chunk of Change
by StarlaMay
Summary: Naomi wakes up in hospital thinking she just has a bad hangover; reality is a lot harsher! 4 years have been wiped from her memory, and life is very different in the 'future'. Can she figure out why her life is such a mess, and find herself again? Loads of mystery, completely AU. Naomily. Please review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1 - Dissatisfaction

**Hi everyone! So I don't know how this happened but I somehow managed to delete the old version of this story which had 5 chapters written.. Not to worry, but I've decided now that 3 years down the track I'll finish it! **

**So here it is, Chunk of Change. Lets go back to where it all began..**

* * *

'_Fucking hell,' _she thought. _'What on earth am I even doing here?'_

The sound of a thumping baseline filled the sweaty, hazy air in the small underground club in Bristol. She recognised the heavy electro sounds of the Crystal Castles song 'Baptism', and smiled slightly that the club was finally playing something decent. Sweaty bodies around her danced without a care in the world; most of them too high or drunk to worry. She was trying to make her way through the crowd and up the set of stairs to the street, but it had proven difficult. The tiny basement club was packed to capacity. She battled her way through the crowd, ignoring sleazy boys dancing obscenely with her and groping her as she pushed past.

They hadn't intended on going out clubbing tonight. It started off just being a few beers at the pub in the afternoon with Effy, then Cook came along and before they knew it the three were completely shit-faced, Cook had hooked up with his dealer, and the trio decided the pub scene wasn't quite what they needed that night. It was always that way with Cook and Effy. The three would go out; get fucked up. Always. And it was starting to shit Naomi Campbell off. They were her best friends, no doubt about it. But she felt like she was never going to be able to live up to her full potential if she kept up her wild partying habits.

Naomi had big dreams for the future. She wanted to save the world, she didn't know how really, but she knew she wanted to do something worthwhile with her life. She was a somewhat eccentric girl. She wore bright, patterned clothing and chunky jewellery that always made a statement. Her white blonde hair was in a short bob, longer at the front. She didn't think she wasn't anything special to look at; she was pale, and in her opinion, plain. Not like her best friend Effy.

Elizabeth Stonem was one hell of a girl. The punk/goth/rock look she chose suited her right down to the ground. She never left the house without heavily applied eyeliner and mascara and of course her signature military style boots and a skimpy outfit to match. It was because of Effy that the girls, and Cook, were able to get into the nightclubs, even though they were still only 17. Effy was gorgeous and had the most stunning blue eyes that Naomi had ever seen. She could make any man, or woman for that matter, melt at her fingertips, and she was so used to it that getting her own way was just a way of life for her. Effy never wasted her words, even when she sang. Her singing was beautiful; Naomi never failed to be amazed at the lyrics that seemingly were pulled out from the air when Effy began to sing at random moments. Effy had a love for partying that far outdid Naomi's, and it was only narrowly matched by Cook's wild ways.

James Cook was Effy and Naomi's best friend. A loud mouthed, trash talking young man who drank and swore more than the entire Royal Navy combined, Cook was a good hearted boy deep down and always looked after his girls. Cook lived for babes, booze and for playing his guitar. He and Effy always messed around with music, and the two often discussed starting an actual band. Cook would strum along on his guitar for hours when they were sharing around a few spliffs, and Effy would hum along to the music and sing random lyrics that came to her head. Naomi thought they were both fabulous and talented, but like everything in Cook and Effy's lives, it didn't end up going in any solid direction. They just didn't have the commitment to trying to start a band. Minimal effort seemed to be a running theme with the two.

The news her mother Gina had broken to Naomi earlier that week had been a shock. Her estranged father, who she had never met, had died of a heart attack. Naomi was surprised when Gina broke the news; she hadn't realised anyone who knew her father would have known how or where to contact Gina and Naomi. But, the news reached them, and although Naomi wasn't saddened by it, she had been talked into going to the funeral tomorrow with her mother.

'_She's going to fucking kill me if she finds out I was out tonight,' _Naomi worried, as she finally reached the stairs and made her way up to the fresh air of the street. _'I wonder where Effy and Cook disappeared to...' _Her thoughts trailed off as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of refreshing night air. The main effects of whatever pills Cook had handed out to her had worn off, and she now felt tired and grumpy; typical of a come down, as she scanned the street in vague hope of finding her friends. It was with surprise that she actually spotted Effy's long, teased and crimped brown hair just a few metres away from her. She gratefully made her way to Effy and sat down beside her on the pavement, not caring that she looked '3am trashy'.

Effy barely moved her head as she glanced at Naomi and offered her the smallest of smiles. 'Hey.'

'Eff, I'm ready to get going soon. It's late and I have to be up at 8 for this stupid funeral...' She leaned over and took a cigarette from Effy's pack, lighting it and inhaling the familiar, calming smoke. 'Have you seen Cook anywhere?'

Effy inhaled and exhaled slowly, not caring that she didn't answer straight away. 'He said he was going to meet me back here after he went inside to find you. Something or other about a house party.'

Naomi didn't reply. It was fine for Cook and Effy; they were both quite well off money-wise, Effy especially. They had all finished college and neither Effy nor Cook had applied for university the following year. They had no direction, and were content to spend their parent's money and continue to live aimlessly for god knows how long. Naomi loved them both but knew she had to at least try to grow up a bit now college was through and go travel or do university. It wasn't the partying that bothered her so much as it was the sensation of drifting through life with no direction.

She was about to say something when a loud voice broke through the crowd.

'Naomikins! There you are Blondie! Alright you two, I've got a nice little party lined up at some super fit bird's place, and there's still some of Cookie's special goodies to go round! Ready to get going soon then?'

Fed up, Naomi stood up. 'I've been trying to find you both for at _least_ an hour! It's already late; I really have to get home... Can we please just leave?'

Cook laughed and grinned at her, then realised she was serious. Effy said nothing; just continued to smoke.

'Oh come on Blondie don't be such a wet blanket. You got plenty of time til you have to be home, you can pull an all nighter; I've seen you do it loads of times!' Cook pulled Effy to her feet, who gave him the slightest disapproving look.

Naomi bit her tongue and finished her smoke, crushing it under her red pointy ballet flats.

'Cook its fine, let her go home. She has shit to do tomorrow that she probably wants to be somewhat sober for.' Effy's voice sounded bored and disinterested as usual. She too was feeling the effects of the come down, however _she _was keen to continue the party and reach the breathtaking peaks of the chemical highs once again. For Effy, too much was never enough.

'I'm going to get a taxi okay? Cook, stop being a prick,' Naomi decided and punched him lightly on the arm, unable to stop a smile creeping onto her face as Cook imitated her. 'My God you are SO annoying sometimes!'

'Hey, there's no need to address me by my proper title Naomikins, leave that for rest of the world, alright?' Cook winked at the girls and laughed at his own stupid God joke.

Both girls rolled their eyes at their best friend, and Naomi collected her things into her bag. She pulled out her phone and dialled the number for taxis, but it rang out. '_They must be flat out at this time of night_.' Still feeling quite drunk, even though the drugs had worn off, she stumbled slightly and dropped her phone as she missed her handbag completely.

'Shit!' she swore, as it bounced into the gutter and onto the road. Without thinking, she stepped forward clumsily, stumbled once again, and had a moment of panic when she realised she was on the busy road. She quickly reached down for her phone and was about to step back onto the curb when she was distracted by a Cook swearing loudly behind her, not sounding at all like his self. She swivelled just in time to see him reaching out to her, metres away, and yell her name. Startled she looked slightly to her left and found herself facing a bright set of headlights. Then she saw nothing.

**-x-**

**I would REALLY appreciate any reviews! Feedback is fuel for the mind so if you can spare a moment I would appreciate your opinions :)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Confusion

'_Where the fuck am I...?'_ Naomi squinted as she tried to open her eyes, the light in the room too bright. _'Fuck... headache... fucking hell, what a hangover...'_ She closed her eyes again.

* * *

Squinting, she groggily tried to sit up, but her weary, aching muscles wouldn't allow her. _'Where am I...? Fucking hell, how long have I slept for!' _Confused and disoriented, she shook her head trying to wake herself up out of what felt like the deepest sleep she'd ever had. Before she had time to notice where she was however, sleep washed over her once again.

* * *

Naomi opened her eyes slowly, stretching and feeling like she had had the best night's sleep in a long time. Through half closed eyes she realised there was a soft, orangey light coming through the curtains. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to awaken slowly. Random thoughts and memories crossed her mind.

'Fuck!' she swore out loud. Her eyes snapped open and everything came flooding back to her. Music. Countless pills Cook had given her. Blurring, flashing lights. Shot after shot at the bar. The memories of the club seemed to remind her she had a splitting headache, and she groaned.

With a shock, she realised she wasn't in her own bed. Nervously, she lifted the blankets, praying she wasn't naked. That would be fucking perfect; end a shit night in some dirty sleaze's bed. Thankfully she found she dressed, but not in her own clothes; she was wearing a plain cotton shirt that seemed way too big for her.

She turned her interest to the rest of the room, trying to process all the thoughts that were rushing through her mind. She seemed to be in a small bedroom, in a single bed which had strange metal railings on each side... A small bedside table sat next to her in the corner, with a large bunch of flowers and a few small bottles. She noticed a steady beeping noise coming from behind her, and she turned around to see a whole heap of equipment hanging off the walls. Oxygen machines, a heart rate monitor, cords and tubes...

'Jesus Christ!' she swore aloud again. _'What the fuck am I doing in hospital!' _She racked her brains for a clue, and suddenly remembered stumbling off the curb to get her phone and people screaming out to her. Shit shit shit!

Strangely though, aside from a bad headache she felt fine, she couldn't see any bumps or bruises on her body... oldHol

Hold on. Were those _her_ arms and legs? _'No... it must be the light in the room making me look so tanned... yes that must be it.' _ She lowered the sheets back over her body, too tired still to deal with the overwhelming realisations she had had in the past minute or so. She scratched her face absently, trying to think of nothing and calm herself down, but yelped in pain as her hands scratched over what had to be a huge bruise on her cheek. Catching a glimpse of her hand, she panicked. Long, French-tipped, perfectly manicured nails were attached to the ends of her fingers. Fear washed over her body, making her shiver. She had never in her life had long fingernails, let alone well manicured nails. A sob was threatening to escape her lips, her head drilled and she was beginning to feel herself become taken over by panic. Had she been in a coma or something? How did she become so tanned, or get such long, perfect fingernails? _'I swear I've lost weight too,' _she thought, remembering how her legs and arms looked under the blankets.

Her attention caught sight of a buzzer by her bed, and she pressed it, hoping it was for a nurse to come in.

Sure enough, not 10 seconds later a young nurse with long blonde hair and a smiling face came in.

'Hello Naomi, how are you feeling today, you're looking a right bit better than you did yesterday!'

Naomi felt comforted by the presence of the nurse, who didn't look much older than Naomi. 'Oh, right... Umm sorry, I'm feeling a bit off, am I able to get a painkiller? This headache is awful...'

The nurse smiled and went out, and came back with a few pills and a cup of water. 'Here you are, you'll feel whizzer once these kick in!' She smiled at Naomi brightly. 'My name's Pandora by the way. I've been your nurse here all week... You've been pretty out of it though, so I don't suppose you remember much.'

Naomi stared back at her, surprised, but not as much as she thought she would have been at this news. 'Yeah, I can imagine... So, how long have I been in here for...? I mean, what happened to me? I suppose the accident caused me more grief than I realised?'

Pandora looked curiously at her. 'You remember the accident then, do you?' She smiled brightly. 'Well, it looks like you are well on the way to recovery then, aren't you! You were brought in 6 days ago, and you were in the ICU overnight, then transferred here and have been in this room ever since.'

'_Oh shit,'_ thought Naomi. _'I missed the sodding funeral didn't I... Mum's going to kill me!_'

'Pandora, do you know if my family been contacted? I mean, Mum must be pretty worried about me.'

'Oh of course, yes everyone was here within an hour of you being brought in!'

Naomi felt the drugs starting to kick in, and her eyelids began to droop. _'Gosh, that was nice of Mum and Cook and Effy to be here so soon after I was bought in...'_

Pandora noticed that she was beginning to drift off and smiled kindly at her. 'I'll let you rest for the night now, just buzz me if you need anything okay?'

Naomi managed to mumble thanks before letting sleep consume her once more.

* * *

Blinding sunlight awoke Naomi, as she realised the curtains in the room had been opened. She stretched, and was pleased to notice that her throbbing headache had disappeared and she seemed to feel a whole lot better than the night before.

A nurse bustled into her room to drop off a breakfast tray, and she smiled at Naomi. 'Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling today Naomi?'

She smiled at the cheerful nurse. 'Actually, I'm feeling really good; those painkillers you gave me last night worked wonders!'

Pandora looked shocked; her jaw actually dropped open.

'But... You... You remember me? And last night?'

Naomi was confused. 'Of course I do! We had a chat, and you gave me painkillers, and then I had a great sleep...' She trailed off, startled by the look on Pandora's face. The thought crossing her mind that maybe she had been hallucinating the whole thing. _'Fucking Cook gets some hectic pills sometimes; maybe I was still high...'_

'Well yes, that did happen...' Pandora still looked worried, and after a moment's deliberation, asked Naomi, 'What do you remember before last night Naomi? Do you remember the rest of the week?'

Naomi frowned; she couldn't recall any of the rest of the week she had apparently been in hospital, but she assumed she had just been so drugged up on painkillers or something that it was normal. 'Well, no, not really, I'm sorry, I'm sure we met during the week but I guess all the painkillers I was on or something must have wiped my memory... I'm afraid I don't really remember anything after leaving the club with my friends and stumbling onto the road.'

'But...' Pandora looked as though she was about to say something, but stopped herself. 'Naomi, I'm going to call your doctor okay, I'll be back with him soon.'

She left the room swiftly, leaving Naomi feeling very startled and disoriented.

A short time later, Pandora was back, with a fairly young African man in a white lab coat. He smiled at her and spoke as her pulled up a chair next to her bed. 'Hello Naomi, I am your neurologist, Dr Tomone. But you can call me Thomas.'

'Hello,' she replied, nervously looking at Pandora, who was standing behind Thomas, still looking rattled.

'Now, please forgive me for asking the following questions, but you have had a bit of a rough week, and this is standard procedure. Could you please start by telling me your full name?'

'Naomi Campbell.'

'Thank you. And your date of birth, Naomi?'

'August 23rd, 1989'

'Excellent. Now, when you crashed your car Naomi, you were lucky to have only obtained a small bump to the forehead, which caused a small amount of swelling in the brain. You seem to be a whole lot better today than any other day this week, which is a good sign that you are on the mend.'

Naomi stared at him trying to get her head around what he had just said. 'Hang on – I think you've got me mixed up with someone else. I didn't have a car accident; I can't even drive! I got hit by a taxi outside a nightclub...!'

Dr Tomone looked slightly confused. 'It was definitely a car crash dear, I was on duty when you came in and had to see to you straight away for a Neuro-consult. Standard procedure for any head traumas that come into the emergency unit.'

Naomi just stared back, unable to think of anything coherent to say.

'Naomi... What year do you think it is?'

Taken aback at the obvious question, Naomi replied, 'It's 2006, of course.'

Looking grave, Thomas hesitated before speaking. 'Naomi, the date today is September 19th... 2010.'

'_This has to be a fucking joke,'_ she thought. _'Who's put them up to this? Mum? Cook?_'

Pandora left the room, and came back holding a copy of the Daily Mail. 'Should I?' she asked Dr Tomone. He nodded once, and she handed the paper to Naomi.

"**Daily Mail, 19th September 2010"**

Naomi's felt tears welling in her eyes; it was only simple words written on paper but she found it very upsetting. 'Who is this man?' She asked, seeing a photograph of a man waving on the cover.

'That's the Prime Minister, David Cameron,' Pandora said brightly.

'What happened to Tony Blair?' Naomi asked, perplexed.

'Oh he's gone, went out of parliament in 2007. There was another one before this David fellow, he's only just taken over actually,' said Pandora.

Naomi looked at the paper for a moment, feeling surreal. She was in the fucking future! _'I wonder if there is flying cars or a cure for cancer, or world peace yet?' _she mused.

'I know this must be very upsetting for you Naomi, but can you please tell me the last thing you remember?' Thomas kindly took the newspaper from her, and waited for her to answer.

'Well... I mean, I remember everything clearly... you know, we all just finished college a few weeks ago, just doing the normal things. Then I went out last night... I mean, on a Saturday in 2006... And the last thing I remember was stumbling onto the road to fetch my mobile phone, and then I think I got hit by a taxi... Then I woke up and I...' she paused, feeling a lump welling in her throat, and a single tear dropped down her cheek. 'I mean, this was just last night to me... And now all of a sudden it's the future! Its 2010!' She looked sadly down at her perfect hands held together in her lap, still not quite sure what on earth had happened to her.

'Naomi, you appear to be suffering what is known as retrograde amnesia; although yours is quite a lengthy case, it seems. It's normal for this to occur after you have obtained a head injury, but..' Dr Tomone began speaking complicated medical words that made Naomi's head hurt; it made no sense to her. How could this happen? Yesterday it was 2006, and now, apparently, it was 2010.

She stared at Thomas and Pandora, and doubt filled her mind. It was ludicrous; this was obviously a set up! 'Okay look, you guys are great, I mean you _really_ had me going there! But seriously, who put you up to this? Mum? Cook? Oh it was Cook wasn't it? I'm going to kill that little shithead!' Naomi laughed, relieved that she had seemingly figured it out. However, both the doctor and the nurse looked back at her, both gravely serious. Naomi's smile faltered, and her heart sank. 'What's wrong with me? Am I going crazy?' She felt tears beginning to well in her eyes once again.

'This is normal Naomi; you are confused because you have lost your memory. I assure you, no one is playing a joke on you; there is no conspiracy. You have lost a chunk of your memory, that's all. It is likely that it will return to you, sooner or later.'

Naomi stared back at him, not bothering to wipe the tears that had now rolled down her cheeks. She was so confused; she didn't know whether they were telling the truth or not, she didn't even know what hospital she was at or if she was still in Bristol, or even England for that matter.

Suddenly she looked down at her hands before, and inspected the perfectly manicured nails. _'These aren't fake nails, are they...'_ she realised with a shock. _'There's no way they could have grown that well in 6 days... And I'm so skinny and tanned...' _Realisation began to wash over her, like taking a cold shower. The cold feeling trickled down her neck and settled in the pit of her stomach. She looked over to the Daily Mail sitting next to her on the bed, and the date stood out to her, as if mocking her and saying 'I told you so.'

**19th September, 2010.**

2010... She felt like she was going to be sick. If she was 17 in 2006, then that meant...

'Oh my god, I'm so OLD!' she gasped, and with a sob the tears came rolling down her face. She made no effort to stop them this time.

* * *

**-x-**


	3. Chapter 3 - Puzzle Pieces

Sitting in my hospital bed and clinging to a hot cup of tea which Pandora kindly made for me, I try to keep my head together as Dr Tomone talks about CT scans and tests. I just smile stupidly and agree to go along with everything. Sure, sure, brain scans, no biggie. Just a bit of amnesia! I'm trying to keep my calm, but on the inside my mind is busy short-circuiting. What. The. Fuck!

Thankfully, Dr Tomone is called away to another patient, and I flop back onto the pillows as Pandora continues to scribble away on my charts.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asks.

Just brilliant, thanks. "Very, very weird," I admit.

"Don't worry; your brain is just trying to sort itself out! It's all a normal process of amnesia. It must be blinkin' confusing for you but I'm sure you'll come good and be feeling whizzer in no time!"

"Do you think I'll get my memories back at all?" I start to freak out all over again. Four years is a huge chunk out of my life, my youth...

"People normally do, eventually!" Pandora says brightly. "Hey! How about I go get your handbag and valuables?"

I perk up at the news that I have 'valuables' and a handbag. This could help me piece together a bit of the mystery! "Thanks Pandora, that'd be great." She leaves and is back before I know it.

"Here you go! Jeepers, you've got some lovely things Naomi," she says, looking enviously at me as she hands me a large handbag and a plastic zip-lock bag that contained a few gold bangles and rings. I stare in surprise at the clearly authentic, black leather handbag, twin gold C's on the clasp. Well this obviously isn't mine; for one I wouldn't ever have enough money to buy a real Chanel, and since when have I wanted to own a bag worth such a ridiculous amount anyway? I mean there are people starving all over the world, and these ridiculous people think it's okay to charge thousands of pounds for a fucking bag for Christ's sake...! Obviously this belongs to some rich snobby girl down the hall.

"Pandora I think there must be a mistake, this definitely isn't mine!" I say, handing her back the bag and jewellery.

She looks confused and checks the paperwork that came with the bag. "Nope, this is definitely yours Naomi... Naomi Campbell; one handbag, 3 gold bangles, 2 rings and a set of gold earrings. All yours!" She smiles her slightly vacant, bright smile again, and I stare at the bag she has dumped back in my lap. Shit, I guess I must be that snob down the hall!

I start to dig through the - I mean, MY bag. Lip gloss, some weird flat piece of technology (fuck knows what crazy gadgets they have in the future!), a purse that matches the bag... I open my purse, and stare in shock at the contents. A driver's license with some ridiculously stunning blonde's mug shot, 3 platinum Amex cards, over 1000 pounds cash... Stunned, I stare at the girl in the mug shot on my driver's license... me. My hair is longer than I had it in 2006, and is hanging loose in perfect curls. My face looks pretty much the same, but I just look different somehow. I tear my eyes away from my license and keep rifling around trying to locate my mobile phone, but there isn't much else in the bag.

"Do you know if I had a mobile phone when I came in Pandora?"

She laughs at me, and I feel a rush of annoyance. "Silly sausage, that's it sitting right there!" She's pointing to the weird thing that I previously discarded, and I now pick it up in interest. One side is all glass, with a small circle button indented slightly into it. The other half was plain black, with a silver apple printed on it and the word 'iPhone'. i-what?

I look at Pandora helplessly, feeling like a sodding idiot. How the hell am I supposed to know how to use this modern technology? "But... there's numbers. How is this a telephone?" She looks like she is trying to suppress a laugh again, and she takes the 'iPhone' from my hands and says, "Here, I'll show you. These are all touch screen so there's no keypad on it. It's bonkers what they have come up with!"

A good ten minutes later I've got the basics of the iPhone down pat, and I scroll through my message conversations (this is SO weird!) for some clues to my life. Unfortunately, none are from anyone I recognise. A few messages between me and someone called Karen, which I can hardly believe I would even write. I mean we were talking about going to Yoga! Some from Mum, and just one message dating back 8 days from someone called F.

_Running late, in meeting. Sorry! F._

F, as in Eff perhaps..? Doubt it. Hey, how come there aren't any messages in here from Effy or Cook anyway? Fuck it, this isn't helping solve any mysteries at all; it's just adding more pieces to the puzzle.

Pandora's pager beeps, and she apologises and leaves the room.

Well this is just fucking brilliant.

Suddenly, the flowers on the bedside table catch my eye, and I catch sight of a small gift tag attached to them. Curiously, I stretch out to read the tag.

"_Get well soon darling. F"_

Okay, who the FUCK is F? Seriously irritated, and sick of not knowing what the fuck is going on, I pick up the iPhone again and look at my contacts. I'm desperate to speak to Effy or Cook, or even Mum. Someone from my life that I bloody know, who can tell me what the fuck is going on.

No Cook or Effy in the phone book. Great. Wait... I'm still friends with them, aren't I? My heart feels heavy as I begin to realise just how different my life is in 2010, and that I may not still be in touch with my best friends anymore. Holding back a sob that was building in my throat and threatening to escape my lips, I scrolled through the contacts until I came to Mum. Right, now how the fuck do I call? I press her name, and a new screen flashes open. The name, her phone number, and the option to share, text message or delete. Fucking brilliant. A telephone that doesn't make phone calls.

I press text message, and start typing.

_Hi mum, I just woke up in hospital and have all my things, but not sure what the fuck is going on... I have amnesia apparently, and I can't remember anything after 2006. Where are you? Naomi._

I sigh, and flop back into the pillows once more, mentally exhausted. Who the fuck is this F? Must be a boyfriend or something... Fuck I don't even know what hospital I'm in. I begin to make a mental list of more questions to ask either Pandora or Dr Thomas when they come back in. Where am I, where do I live, where is my mum and where are my friends?

Absently, I pick up my bag of jewellery, and can't help but marvel over the seemingly solid gold pieces of beauty. The earrings are breathtaking, must have cost a fortune. Did I win the fucking lotto or something? I pick up the two rings, and take a sharp breath. One is just a plain gold band, with tiny hearts engraved lightly into it. There is a slight bend in the band, and I look at the other ring. It is more extravagant; its plain gold band is also engraved lightly with the same pattern, and there is a massive clear stone in the middle which I have a horrible feeling is a real diamond. There is a small dent in this ring also, and I bring the two together slowly, until they join perfectly at the dent.

Fuck.

My eye catches sight of another engraving, this time on the inside of the band. Fucking hell Naomi, you silly cow, you are only 21! What have you done to your fucking life?

_N.C & F.M 11.12.09_

.

.


	4. Chapter 4 - Revelations

**Revelations**

* * *

Okay. So I'm married. I'm 21... Seriously what the fuck was I thinking? I'm not the sort of person who wants to get married; I've never been able to picture myself with the perfect husband, or children... Oh FUCK do I have kids?

My hands are shaking, my pulse is racing. I'm freaking out.

I reach over and fumble with the nurse buzzer beside my bed and finally I manage to actually press the sodding button.

Relief washes over me when Pandora walks into the room, and she looks concerned as she asks me if I'm okay.

"Sorry, I'm just; well I'm freaking out a bit. I just found this." I pick up the wedding and engagement rings and show them to her. "I'm only 21! I can't be married, I mean it's insane!"

Pandora looks at the ring enviously. "Whizzer, that looks like a real diamond Naomi!" She catches sight of my face and then adds, "Well, you must have had your reasons. I bet you are happily in love. Wow, I'd love to be married..."

I've had enough of being confused and not knowing what on earth is going on in my own life. I need to get out of this bed. "Pandora, please, can you take me to a bathroom so I can look in a mirror?"

She nods and helps me out of bed. I feel unsteady on my feet, but I need to do this. I need to see myself in a mirror; I need to make sure it's still me. I feel like a completely different person! We head down the hall and into a room which isn't a bathroom. "This is the nurse's lockers, there's a great full length mirror just there," she says, pointing to the corner of the room. I swallow nervously and brace myself for what I'm about to see.

Jesus H Christ.

The most stunning girl is staring back at me. Long, tanned legs, platinum blonde hair which is lighter and brighter than I remember it to be, and definitely longer and better styled. I was always slender but now I'm skinny, and when I flex my muscles subtly I'm shocked to see how toned I am. Even in this dorky hospital gown I look, well, gorgeous! I stare intently at my face, relieved to find that even through the purple bruised mess that is half my face, I still look like myself.

"Wow," is all I can manage to say. Since when did I get all toned and fabulous? I mean, I know I've always been better than average looking, I've never been fat or anything, but now... I mean, I look great, but seriously, what the fuck? This tan is obviously fake; I can tell because it's slightly patchy on my arms and chest. When the actual fucking fuck has Naomi Campbell been one of those bimbos who would get a fake tan!

.

.

As we are just getting back into the room, I notice that my phone is flashing and buzzing. I pick it up and the word 'Mum' is on the screen. Tapping the green button, I lift it to my ear and uncertainly say, "Hello?"

"Hello love, I'm glad you're finally awake! We've been so worried, that was a well nasty bump to the head you gave yourself! I've been in a right state stressing about you all week, I came out to see you on the weekend but I had to get back home Sunday night. Kieran says hi by the way, darling!" Mum rambles on, not letting me get a word in edgeways.

"Mum... wait. Did you even read the text I sent you?" I say, feeling confused all over again. I have too many questions, starting with where am I? And who on earth is Kieran? Her boyfriend? Her dog? The latest hobo who's moved in?

"Oh yes dear, sorry, you've got a bit of memory loss don't you?"

"Not a little bit Mum. I don't remember anything between this morning and 2006! I've lost 4 years of my memory!"

She doesn't say anything in response, so I keep talking. "The last thing I remember is the night before my father's funeral... I was out with Effy and Cook, and then I stumbled on to a street, and there was a taxi or a car or something... And then I woke up in this hospital!" My voice breaks and I have to stop speaking or I'm going to start crying.

"Oh shit. Fuck. Well what did the doctors say? I mean, you're going to get better right? This is just temporary...?"

"I don't know Mum, they say I should get it back eventually but it's a matter of time I think... I mean, they're running some tests now so hopefully I should have some answers." They better have some sodding answers.

"And how about the rest of your injuries love, you copped a pretty bad bump to the head when you crashed your car. How are you feeling, amnesia aside?"

Honestly, I've been so caught up with the whole memory loss freaking out thing that I haven't even had time to worry about my other injuries. But now she's asked me, I realise that I am pretty much feeling okay, minus the bruising on the left side of my face, but I feel fine. "I'm actually pretty good mum. Just the amnesia thing that's really a problem... Mum, I have so many questions! I don't even know where I am!"

Mum laughs, then immediately apologises. "I'm so sorry love I'm not laughing at you, it's just an absurd situation! You're at the Highgate Private Hospital; it's only a few miles away from your place... SHIT! You don't even know... You don't know about..." She stutters and is unable to finish her sentence.

I sigh. "It's okay mum... I found the wedding ring. Although, I don't know his name... or anything. Tell me about my life! I need to know!"

"Christ Naoms, I don't even know where to start... Well, his name is Fred McClair, although everyone calls him Freddie. He is a lovely boy, although I never would have picked him as your type love. He's a property developer, and works in London with his business partner. You live in Kensington together in the most amazing fucking apartment. You met in 2006 funnily enough, right after your dad's funeral. You seemed happy enough, although you must have had a falling out with your other friends Cook and Effy, because you never really mentioned it to me and when I tried to talk to you about it, you would always go all cold and shut me out... I was real worried about you love, you changed. But then you got married last year, and after the wedding you started to brighten up again, and you've just been so happy and sound so alive when I speak to you on the phone. In fact, last time we spoke, just a few days before your accident, you said you were excited for something that was going to happen soon, but you couldn't tell me what, but you promised me I'd be the first to know..." She drifts off again and lapses into a silence, leaving me shell-shocked at the revelations.

Stupidly, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is, "Fuck, I can't afford to be staying in a private hospital!"

This time mum laughs and doesn't apologise. "Honey, you have private health insurance. And I'm sure that even if you didn't, you could certainly cover the costs no problems at all!"

"Oh," is all I can manage to say. Smooth answer Naomi, smooth. Right, next question. "Mum, who's Kieran?"

Mum's voice goes all soppy as she tells me about her boyfriend of the past 3 years, Kieran. He's some middle aged Irish guy who teaches at Roundview back in Bristol now, and he's lovely and charming and keeps her entertained plenty. Thanks for the much too intimate details Mum. I guess you haven't changed too much.

"So... Freddie... We're... I mean, I love him? Am I really happy with how my life is Mum?" I'm feeling doubtful, I honestly never believed in marriage or even true love, I never ever wanted to be the sort of 'wifey' woman, who was content living a second rate life in the shadow of her husband. So what the fuck happened to change me?

"Naoms, every time I've spoken to you over the past 8 or 9 months you have been gushing to me how in love you are, how you are so happy with your life even though it's not how you expected it to be at 21. You went through a bad patch love, I mean, you were saying you were happy and that you liked how your life was playing out, but I think there was a lot more going on then you were ever telling me. When you and Freds got together, you changed, like I said. You shut me out completely; you became really distant and cold... It frightened me! Then the wedding happened, and I was so worried you had made the wrong decision... But then, like I said, you got back to your old self and settled into life."

My mind is racing. So I changed? It's so surreal, it's like she's talking about someone else completely. How on earth could she possibly be talking about ME, about my life? Fuck this stupid amnesia.

"Honey I'm sorry, I didn't realise quite how bad your amnesia was. It must be so bizarre for you to hear all this, but darling it's the honest truth. This is YOUR life we're talking about here!" Yep, she hasn't changed. Still knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"It's fine Mum, it's not your fault! In fact, I actually feel a lot better just speaking to you, at least I feel somehow connected to my life again..."

"Maybe I should come back down dear. You are going to get out of hospital eventually; you might like to have me around for a few weeks, until you settle back in with Freddie..." Shit I hadn't even thought about going 'home'. Bloody fucking hell this is one big mess. A tap on the door startles me; I've almost forgotten where I am.

"Naomi, sorry to interrupt," whispers Pandora, like it's some fucking secret or something. " It's just that, your husband is here in the waiting area, we've explained the situation to him, he understands if you need time, but do you want to see him?"

I feel like I've suddenly been submerged in a tub of icy water. Shit! Oh fucking shit shit shit. I suppose I have to meet him eventually. I apparently love this man, and yes! Maybe seeing him will bring back some memories. I try to feel relieved as I tell Pandora its fine, but to give me a few minutes.

Promising to call her back later, I say goodbye to Mum and end the phone call. Butterflies in my stomach from the nerves make me feel faint and I think I am going to be sick. What if he is horrible? What if I can't remember him? What if... what if I _do _remember him?

This has been the most stressful day of my life; well, that I know of anyway. I try to calm myself and sit up in bed, running my fingers through my hair and absently fluff it up. Footsteps in the hall sound closer and closer and I am unsure of where to look or what to do with my hands. Will the man – Freddie – be angry that I don't have my wedding ring on? Shit, he's going to be mad isn't he. No – don't be stupid. He knows the situation.

Fuck.

Standing in the doorway to my room holding the most amazing bunch of flowers, is the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. Chocolate brown hair and skin to match, he smiles at me almost sheepishly, and I stop feeling so nervous, but still feel absolutely fucking surreal.

"Darling," he says. "You're awake!"

.

.


	5. Chapter 5 - Surprises and Strawberries

**Surprises & Strawberries**

* * *

Dammit, nothing is coming back to me. No rush of recognition, no joyful memories. Nothing. Fuck.

Awkwardly, I say, "Oh, um hi," and manage a small smile. He walks over to me and sits in the chair next to me, looking concerned. "How are you feeling? The nurses told me everything. I'm so glad you're finally lucid anyway, I've been in a few times this week but you were asleep."

I stare back, not really sure what to say; my mind has gone blank. "Yeah... Sorry about that," I say, immediately feeling stupid for apologising for being asleep. "I'm actually feeling fine now though, apart from the whole amnesia thing..." I trail off. Christ, this is so surreal.

Freddie looks at me hopefully. "Do you remember anything at all? You must remember me, surely?"

I feel bad as I sadly shake my head. "I'm afraid not." His face drops, so I add, "But the doctor said my memory should be recovered sooner or later!"

"Oh well that's great news then! I'm sure I can help you remember until then," he says warmly, and reaches out to take my hand. I flinch before thinking and I can see the hurt flash through his eyes. Fuck, I feel like shit, this poor man, my husband, is just trying to support his... his wife. And I'm not even trying. "Freddie, I'm sorry I didn't mean to... it's just that, well... you're kind of a stranger to me at the moment."

He brushes off my apology and insists that it's fine. We sit in silence for a few minutes, until thankfully Dr Tomone walks in and saves us from the lack of conversation.

"Hello again, so sorry to interrupt," he says, "But I have some news. Mr McClair, nice to see you again. Naomi, after speaking with you this morning and examining you, I have cleared you for discharge today once we go get your CT scans. It will take a few days to get some results, so you may as well get back home and into a familiar environment while you wait, it may help your recovery."

"Oh," I say. I'm surprised I'm being discharged so soon, but apparently the medical staff know best. Shit. "Okay. So... great. Home."

Without startling me this time Freddie takes my hand in his. "Naoms, if you're not ready for this, you can stay here for another few days; we can cover the cost with no trouble. Or if you perhaps would feel more comfortable, you can go to Gina's?" His expression is unreadable, but I'm guessing more than anything he wants me home. Well, I guess I have to make a decision. Back to mum's? Or stay here, with Panda and Thomas and whoever else? No, I can't stay here; I'll be the fucking crazy amnesia girl who wouldn't go home... Right, fuck it. I'm twenty-one now, I got married for god knows why, but it's real and I did it, so I need to face up to my own life. And Thomas is probably right; it makes sense that my home and familiar surroundings should help me trigger some memories. Feeling suddenly more positive, I smile and give Freddie's hand a squeeze. "Home it is then," I say brightly, although the way it comes out sounds slightly manic. Oh well. Baby steps.

.

.

An hour or so later, the CT scans are complete, all the paperwork has been filled out, and Freddie is carrying my belongings for me as we walk outside the hospital into the car park. Looking around, I don't recognise anything, which doesn't really surprise me too much; I never spent much time in London, although I feel a bit disappointed that I don't recognise anything. Apparently we live in Kensington about 20 minutes drive away, and apparently, or so Freddie tells me, I come past here fairly often. Oh well.

With a shock I realise Freddie has stopped walking and we are standing next to a sleek, red, convertible BMW, and is pulling out keys and putting my bags on the back seat. Fuck me, what a car. For what this thing was worth, it could probably cure global famine. It could... it... red car...

_._

_Red. _

_I can smell fresh strawberries, and all I can see is red._

.

"Naomi? Are you alright love?" I blink and shake my head, feeling utterly confused. Freddie is standing in front of me, hands on my shoulders, looking alarmed.

"I'm fine... I think," I hear myself say. What the fuck was that?

Freddie's looking excited now. "Did you see something? Do you remember anything?"

Not unless you count smelling something which clearly isn't actually here, and seeing nothing but one colour... "No, I don't know what that was, sorry. I'm fine though." I smile weakly and make to get in the car, but Freddie leans in front and opens the door for me. What a gentleman. "Oh... thanks."

"Not a worry darling," he smiles back at me, as he gets in the driver's side.

The drive home is uneventful, and before we know it we turn down a street which Freddie points out as "here we are!" We park in an underground garage, which Freddie explains to me is all ours. Wonderful. "If this is all ours, whose cars are they?" I'm pointing to the black Mercedes sedan and the chunky white Toyota ute.

Freddie laughs. "They're ours sweetheart. The ute is mine for when I'm going out to work on site. The Merc is just our run-about. I actually bought the BMW today since it needed a drive; ever since you got your new Mercedes you haven't driven the poor thing much!" He's lost me; I have no idea what he's on about.

"Wait... My Mercedes?"

"The one you crashed love, when you went to hospital."

Oh, duh. It all clicks in. Right. I was driving a Mercedes, my new Mercedes apparently. Great. Freddie must have mistaken the look on my face, because he begins reassuring me that my replacement car will be here within the week.

"Freddie, really, I don't need a new car, its fine... I mean, I can't drive until I get my memory back... I don't think I know how. Besides, I don't really need another car do I? We have three here already!"

A funny look crosses his face. "Darling don't be silly, of course you need the replacement. You love your Merc. Besides, you never like to drive my cars." Fuck he's getting a bit defensive about his bloody cars. Fucking sod it then.

.

.

There is a fucking elevator to get to our apartment. It's only a 3 storey building, apparently there is a fire escape with stairs, but the elevator is for main use. I'm busy thinking how high tech it is to have an elevator, when it dings and the doors swing open. My jaw nearly hits the floor. I know mum said we lived in a fancy apartment, but holy fucking fuck. This place is insane. As my eyes sweep the room, I get no rush of recognition, only shock and awe. A huge, flat screen TV against a wall, with a long, very modern looking couch, modern furniture, a bar with cute bar stools, a huge fish tank partially blocking off another room which looks to be a dining room... It's pristine, perfect, and hardly looks lived in. Is this really my home? I never ever imagined myself to live in such a place. I've never exactly been known to be messy, but here it didn't look like even one speck of dust was out of place.

"How do you like it?" asks Freddie.

I'm gobsmacked. I cannot believe this place. It's insane! I bet that Cook, Effy and I have had plenty of fun here. "It's... so clean! I mean, it's beautiful and amazing, but fuck!"

Freddie grins at me. "Well, we like to keep it looking the best. We pay Elisabeth top dollar to keep the place clean, she actually does a fantastic job of it." What the fuck? Right, I guess Freddie has a maid. I mean... I guess WE have a maid. Wow. I'm starting to feel waves of doubt again, so I busy myself looking around the room to distract myself from depressing thoughts. Freddie proceeds to give me a tour of the whole apartment, which consists of the open space living, dining and bar, the kitchen, a small laundry, a balcony off the lounge room, guest room with ensuite, an office, and a ridiculously huge master bedroom with ensuite, and another whole room full of just clothes and shoes which are all women's; I'm assuming they must be mine... Freddie doesn't seem to be the cross-dressing type after all. I have a little snigger to myself at my own lousy joke.

"Miss Naomi, you are returned and better now! It is wonderful to see you are well again, Madame." I turn in surprise at the sound of a female with a heavy French accent addressing me, to see a buxom middle aged woman curtsey at me. I'm so shocked I nearly swallow my tongue, but before I can reply, Freddie speaks to her. "Thank you Elisabeth, will you please go fetch us some tea." I'm surprised at how short he is with her, and his voice is polite but clearly in charge. I don't know how I feel about this. I feel like I can handle the ridiculously clean, huge Kensington apartment, the dozen cars, and the futuristic gadgets in my handbag, but a fucking slave? I know that it is perfectly legal to have a maid or hired help, but fuck... just because it's legal doesn't mean I agree with it! I am all about human rights and people having equal opportunities. What the fuck am I doing, living like a fucking snob with a maid? This can't be right.

With a frown, I follow Freddie to the lounge, and Elisabeth brings out a tray with a teapot and cups for two. I smile at her, and thank her profusely, then figure she may as well join us. "Why don't you grab a cup for yourself and sit with us Elisabeth?" I say warmly.

To my surprise, she looks shocked, and glances at Freddie, who merely shakes his head and says, "Naomi isn't feeling quite herself yet Elisabeth. How about you get started on dinner for us, we will eat at six, thank you." When she leaves the room, after shooting me a quick, curious glance, Freddie smiles tightly at me, and says, "Inappropriate, darling." I'm quite speechless, so I keep bite my lower lip and keep quiet. Feeling deeply unsettled and annoyed with the increasing amount of doubt surrounding my life, I sip at my tea, listening to Freddie talk about his business and our life. For some reason though, all I can think about is the colour red, and I can still smell strawberries.

.

.


	6. Chapter 6 - Red

**Chapter 6**

* * *

_Happiness. It's the most overpowering emotion I've ever felt, I've never been this happy. I'm laughing, though I have no idea what at. I realise I'm dressed only in my underwear, although it's not exactly the warmest of days. "No peeking," I say to someone, although I can't see who or what. _

_Suddenly I'm sitting somewhere. The happiness is gone and I feel excited but on edge. I shake hands with a purple haired girl who introduces herself with a lisp, although I can't actually hear what she says to me. Someone else is at the table, I can feel them sitting next to me, but for the life of me I can't turn to see who it is._

_Now I'm lying under the stars. I think I'm in a boat but I'm not sure, I could just be on the ground. All I know is that I'm lying under the stars and holding hands with someone, and I feel blissfully happy and at peace. _

_I turn over to look at the person, and just as I see a flash of red – _

The angry buzzing of an alarm clock drags me back to reality and gives me such a shock I nearly fall out of bed. Although the bed is so massive I don't think that is actually possible.

"Shit," I swear, sitting up with a start. I reach over and turn off the stupid alarm, and wearily shake my head, trying to wake myself up a bit. What a bizarre dream.

It's my second morning waking up in my own house, but I still haven't had any memories come back to me. It's getting on my nerves, to be quite honest. Yesterday, Freddie took the day off work, and we spent the day going through the house looking at various photos from various occasions, but nothing came back. I got quite teary when I saw the wedding photos, and Freddie took it the wrong way thinking I was having a flashback. But really, I was just devastated that I couldn't remember my own wedding day. Sure, I'd never even wanted to get married - it was hard to adjust to the fact that I was now 21, not 17 – but there was the proof right in front of me, that I had changed my beliefs and morals somewhere along the line, and had looked happy enough doing it, so why couldn't I remember? Photo's aside, Freddie had shown me through our house in more detail than the first day back from the hospital. I nearly died when I saw my wardrobe (which was more like another room than a wardrobe!). It was full of designer label clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Not that I can honestly say that I had never wanted a real Louis Vuitton bag, or didn't want a real pair of Tony Bianco heels, but the fact that the whole wardrobe was a boring beige, cream, black or white colour freaked me out. I am a colourful person; I wear bright clothes to make me feel happy. I love patterns, I love comfort, and I LOVE colour. This wardrobe clearly belonged to some high powered CEO of a company, not plain old me. I clearly had some shopping to do some time soon.

Crawling out of bed, I yawn and make my way to the kitchen to grab a coffee.

"Morning darling," Freddie calls to me from the balcony, where he is sitting drinking a coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Good morning," I call back, and after filling my mug up with coffee that Elisabeth has prepared on the bench, I make my way out to join him. It's actually a lovely day, it's still a bit brisk as it's early in the morning, but there's barely a cloud in sight. Strange London weather.

"How did you sleep? Did you remember anything at all yet?"

I shake my head. "Unfortunately not, I'm sorry... I slept really well though, thanks." I feel kind of bad, Freddie has been sleeping in the guest room ever since I got home, he was the one who suggested it and I gladly accepted the offer. I mean, I know we're married and all. But while my head is all screwed up he really is like a stranger to me, as bad as it is. It's just good that he is taking it so well, and he really is being lovely to me, always asking me how my memory is and answering any question I have about my life.

He looks up from his paper and gives me a smile. "Not to worry love, I'm sure it will start coming back soon." He's being so optimistic about it, but I am feeling more doubtful every minute that goes by. I'm living back in my own home, with my husband, I've seen countless photos, met our maid, driven in our cars... and nothing. I smile back but say nothing.

"So listen, I have to go into the office for a few hours today, I should be back mid afternoon but I'm afraid I can't put off going to work any longer, we're very busy at the moment." He sounds apologetic, so I reassure him that it's fine. "But, I did call Karen earlier, and she can't wait to see you darling, so she said she would come around and take you out for a few hours before lunch." Karen... who is Karen again? I rack my brains trying to recall him mentioning her. Oh, that's right. Karen is Freddie's older sister, although apparently we are the best of friends. She is 24, Freds is 22. Karen is a bit of a socialite, from what I've heard anyway. She doesn't work, unless you count modelling and being paid to appear at clubs and parties of the rich and famous 'work'. I could hardly believe my ears yesterday when Freddie was telling me about her, and of how close we are. I mean, really. My life is so surreal in the future (I'm still struggling with the whole feeling like it was 2006 4 days ago..!).

"Oh great, that will be nice," I say with a smile, not really able to think of a better adjective to use. Well, at least I will be spending some time with someone else, someone who I am apparently close to. Maybe Karen can fill me in on a few things.

"Also, I spoke to the Mercedes dealer this morning, and he said that your car will be delivered this afternoon between 1 and 2, so do try to be home won't you dear?" Oh god. The new Mercedes. MY new Mercedes.

"Yeah, absolutely..." I tried again yesterday to convince Freddie that I didn't need a new car, but he had ended up getting all funny about it again, and insisting that it was really fine, and told me again how I didn't like to drive his cars anyway. So I let it go.

.

.

.

An hour or so later, Freddie has left for work and I'm nervously sitting on the lounge waiting for Karen to get here. I don't know why I'm so nervous; she's supposed to be my best friend. Although as far as I can remember, I've never met the girl. Maybe she can fill me in on how to contact Effy and Cook. We're supposed to go do a bit of shopping, which suits me fine, and then go to the gym. Apparently it's what we do "all the time" according to Freddie. I frown at the thought, is this really what my fucking life has become? Shopping and Yoga!? I need to get a grip on reality and sort my shit out.

A buzz from the intercom interrupts my thoughts, and I get up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Naomi, babe? It's Karen!" Karen's voice is bubbly and has a bit of a drawl to it. She sounds exactly as I imagined her to sound!

"Oh, hi…Ok, it should be open," I reply, pressing the key button.

Feeling awkward, I open the front door and wait for the elevator to arrive.

Ding! The doors start to open, and before I get a chance to get a good look at her, Karen runs up and hugs me, and I'm lost in a mess of ridiculously long brown hair. She finally lets me go, but not before planting a big smooch on my cheek.

"I'm soooo happy you're okay Naomi! Gosh, I was so worried about you being in hospital. How are you holding up? Have you had any memories yet?"

I smile. Despite her stuck-up drawl and plastic, pampered appearance, she's bubbly and actually quite likable. "Nope, no memories yet. But I'm doing okay… I mean, this is all a bit weird for me, but I'm adjusting."

Karen dramatically gasps and puts a hand to her mouth. "Oh you POOR thing! So you don't even remember me?"

"Well, I mean Freds has told me about you and how we're friends and all…but yeah, it's kind of like I haven't met you before today," I say apologetically.

Karen grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. "Naomi Campbell! You and I are not friends," she declares, and I'm slightly shocked. "No. We are BEST friends! We do everything together! We shop, we go to yoga, we gossip together, we play with the paparazzi together. You and I, we're a team!"

I'm flattered, though I have to resist the urge to laugh. I'm actually a bit lost for words. Luckily, Karen smiles and says, "Come on now bestie, let's go shopping."

.

.

.

Hours later I've finally returned home after being dragged from store to store by Karen. She's actually not too bad; nowhere near as bad as I'd imagined. Despite the fake tits and spoilt attitude, she was quite easy to talk to. Although she couldn't tell me anything about Eff or Cook, I felt at ease being around her and despite the fact that I would usually steer right clear of girls like her, I had to admit to myself that this girl could actually be a friend.

The best thing that came out of the shopping trip was being able to get a pack of fags. There aren't any ashtrays or lighters around the apartment and Freddie just laughed at me when I asked him if we had any cigarettes this morning. Guess I don't smoke any more. Probably for the best but at this point in my life things are getting a little too intense and I think I deserve a little normality.

I smile feeling a little rebellious as I inhale, and instantly I'm feeling better. I may have forgotten 4 years of my life but I haven't forgotten how good a fag is when you really need a little relaxation.

I hear the intercom buzz near the door but before I can even think about getting it I hear Elisabeth answer it. Curious who it could be I have one last drag before putting out my fag anyway and head inside.

"Miss Naomi, the people from Mercedes have arrived downstairs and would like for you to sign some paperwork."

"Oh right, thanks Elisabeth," I reply before heading out the door. I find my way down to the garage where the new Mercedes is sitting, and I greet a young woman who informs me all I need to do is sign the form and the car is mine. I sign and wish her a good day, and turn to inspect the sleek new convertible sitting in the middle of the parking lot. There are at least 50 car spaces in the car park for this building, and as I look around I don't see one car that looks like it's worth less than a hundred thousand pounds. I roll my eyes as I think to myself _I wonder how many of these I own._

Turning back to the newly arrived Mercedes I realise I have to park it at least; it can't sit in the middle of the drive all day.

"Okay Naomi, you can do this," I mutter to myself as I climb into the driver's seat. The last time I actually REMEMBER driving was only a few 'weeks' ago, but that was actually over 4 years now. But apparently I drive around all the time now, there's even a proper driver's license in my purse to prove that. So it mustn't be too hard!

I start the car and drive a few metres, instantly feel confident. Although it's a manual mum's calm guiding words echo in my ears as if she only taught me to drive yesterday, and before I can stop myself I'm headed over to the exit where I promise myself to just go around the block and then I'll come back. I'm feeling great and looking forward to a quick drive, so much so that as I push down on the gas to head on to the street I am suddenly in shock when I see a flash of red appear suddenly to my right, and as my eyes connect with soft brown ones my body begins to shake violently and I stare at the woman not 5 metres away from me like I'm seeing a ghost. The car shudders and comes to a stall, where it begins to slowly roll forwards down the slight slope towards the street. I panic; my head not able to think clearly. I swear loudly and flail about uselessly until I am snapped out of it as the woman shouts to me, "the breaks Naomi! Put the handbrake on!"

I snap out of it and pull the handbrake, and begin to blush as the woman heads toward me. Fucking convertible with no windows to hide behind.

The woman looks deeply concerned, so I shrug off my own feeling of unease to try to calm her. I laugh nervously. "Wow thanks for that, something startled me and, uh, I just completely forgot what I was doing! So sorry, thanks for helping me out though." _Shut up Naomi you rambling twat._ The red haired woman still hasn't spoken but she has a strange look on her face. Then I realise that she said my name before, and I relax slightly. "Sorry, I'm Naomi – I mean, I guess you know that – sorry, I sound like a twat. I was in an accident a couple of weeks ago and I've kind of lost my memory. So… so sorry, but would you mind telling me your name again? Are we neighbours?"

Her look has changed and she looks devastated. "You lost your memory?!"

"Well, yeah, I crashed my car and now I have amnesia.. Its pretty annoying!"

"You crashed your car? You said a couple of weeks ago? As in the weekend before last?"

I furrow my brow, thoroughly confused as to what's going on now. "I think it was the Saturday, yeah…"

The redhead's look changes again and now I can't tell if she's angry or upset or both. Weird. She swears. "Fuck. Fuck, fucking shit fuck. This is terrible. Fuck!" I don't really know what to say now so I let her have her moment before she continues. "Sorry Naomi… that is a terrible thing to happen to you. I'm just… sorry, I don't know what to say to you."

"Hey, its okay," I cut in. "I'm dealing with it, things aren't so bad! Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

She smiles sadly at me. "Naomi, it's me – Emily."


	7. Chapter 7 - Emily

**Apologies at the delay in posting this chapter - I've just had big end of semester exams at uni! That's all over now and I have a lot of free time coming up, so don't expect such a delay with the next chapter!**

**I would be forever grateful for your reviews, so please take a moment to give me some feedback after reading! Thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed, liked and put alerts on for this story, I appreciate every one!**

* * *

I frown to myself. Emily. Who the fuck is Emily? "Oh, Emily… hi"

"You really don't remember me?"

My stomach knots up and I feel terrible that I can't remember this woman. I've never met her, at least, I can't remember meeting her, but there's something about her. I can see it in her soft brown eyes; she's a wonderful person and something inside of me yearns to know her, to be her friend, to talk to her. I don't know where on earth these feelings are coming from but it feels right. I feel as though I'm in some sort of trance, captivated by this mysterious stranger and her bright red hair. I'm aware of the strong smell of strawberries in the air, _it has to be her perfume, its fucking delicious. I wonder which one it is?_

I realise I'm staring and I mentally slap myself, but before I can throw together something that resembles a sentence, Emily turns to walk away.

_Pull yourself together Campbell!_ I snap out of my stupor and call after her. "Hey Emily, wait! Where are you going?"

She stops and turns back to me slowly, and I'm crushed to see a tear roll down her face. She's about to say something but only a sob leaves her mouth. Shaking her head she turns and dashes away without another word.

_What the fuck just happened? _I'm compelled to follow her but I need to get this car back in the garage. All motivation to take it for a spin has left me and I head back inside with the smell of strawberries left lingering in the air.

* * *

Not long after I've put the car away and am back in the apartment, Freddie arrives home. I'm still feeling completely unnerved by meeting Emily, and my curiosity is killing me. Why hasn't he mentioned her to me? If she's a good friend of mine, shouldn't he have told me about her? He's told me every other detail about my life. Then again, he knows nothing of Effy and Cook besides the fact that they are old friends of mine who he apparently has never met.

He greets me with a kiss on my forehead, asking how my day with Karen was.

"Not too bad, we actually had a good time together," I reply honestly. "Although the paparazzi that followed her around were full on."

He laughs, "She enjoys it a bit too much I think! But I'm glad you had a good time with her darling."

"Oh, and the car arrived not long ago too," I add as an afterthought.

"Great, all is well with it I assume?"

"Yeah….. It's perfect. It's a lovely car." I don't know why but I bite my tongue when asking him about Emily. In fact I avoid telling him of our little run in all together. My head has barely wrapped around my own thoughts, and I want to keep it to myself for the moment.

"Wonderful," Freddie continues, not noticing my pause at all. He drabbles on with some shit about cars and engine capacity and fuel economy, and I'm struggling to pay attention. My thoughts drift back to the mysterious red head and as I'm wondering who she is, I can't help but remember how lovely her hair was and how delicious the strawberry perfume smelt.

I realise Freddie has asked me something and I snap back to reality. "Sorry, what did you say Freddie?"

"Dinner tonight darling," he repeats. "Are you still up for it? I mentioned it yesterday -it's the one we've had planned for months with the lads from Enterprise." He seems to realise that I have no idea who or what he's talking about, "You know, Enterprise, our new clients. They're about to sign off on the new apartment block we've put up in the city. We've had this dinner organised for a while now - I've invited a few of my colleagues from the office and their partners, so Enterprise can get to know a bit about us and our company and we can talk a bit of business in a more relaxed environment."

Oh. So it's basically one of those big business meetings where everyone brings their trophy wives, drinks the finest French champagne and we all suck up to the client trying to impress them so they'll sign off on the deal.

"So you'll come then?"

He looks at me and I think to myself, _what the hell. _"Sure, it sounds fun." Besides, I could use a drink.

Freddie smiles but I can tell it's not completely genuine. "Well darling, it's not all fun and games – we really need to impress these people. But it will be a lovely time."

_Brilliant._

* * *

We're in a limousine on the way to some posh restaurant in the heart of London, and although I agreed to come I'm now regretting it. As much as this is my life and whatever has happened is my own doing, I don't know who the fuck I am anymore. The Naomi I thought I was wasn't materialistic at all, she used to laugh at these fake people going to their events in their expensive clothes and driving their expensive cars. The Naomi I thought I was scoffed at these people and their lives; she marched in protests against companies like Enterprise. The more I learn about my so called life, the more I despise who I've become; and the more I dislike Freddie. He's a nice enough lad but we share none of the same values, none of the same ideas or dreams. I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up but it sure as hell wasn't a trophy wife.

As I reflect on my situation staring out at the city lights, I feel Freddie's hand gently touch my leg. I flinch and pull it away before I can stop myself. I see the hurt on his face and I apologize. We say nothing and I uncomfortably take his hand instead. As we drive along in silence I look away and a tear slowly rolls down my cheek.

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We exit the elevator into the restaurant on the 41st floor of one of the tallest buildings in London and the sight takes my breath away. I've never ever been somewhere this fancy before; it's like a scene from a movie. The place itself is Asian inspired, and the décor is just stunning. The maître d' spots Freddie and rushes over to greet us, taking us straight through to a private section away from the rest of the diners. Seven men are at our table already, two of them have their wives with them. Freddie introduces everyone and I politely smile and shake hands with them. I nod gratefully when the waiter asks if I'd like champagne, and I sink into my seat feeling completely out of place.

Freddie wastes no time and begins laying on the charm to his potential clients, dazzling them with tales of golf and business; the other wives are laughing along at all his jokes. _Stupid airheads._ I roll my eyes and take a large swig of my champagne.

"Sorry I'm late Freddie – cab took the wrong road and took bloody ages to get turned around through all the traffic," comes a husky voice from behind me. I nearly choke and I turn sharply to face the person who just arrived. It's her. The red head. EMILY.

She looks stunning. Wearing a sparkling emerald top, tight jeans that hug her butt and heels which make her legs go on forever; her red hair is flowing around her shoulders. Now I've always been pretty open with my sexuality. I know I'm married to a man, but before that I'd not long ago broken up with a girl I was seeing from college. She was my first proper relationship; I'd been with boys before sure, but I never desired to date one. They were all stupid immature twats as far as I was concerned, but Sophia was different. She was mysterious and smart and beautiful, and she made me feel special. But she was also needy and neurotic, and it didn't last between us more than a few months.

But Sophia was ancient history. Emily standing here now is absolutely stunning. I'm completely and utterly speechless, my head can't process why she is here of all places, why she just addressed Freddie, why she's leaning in for a warm hug and kiss on the cheek with him before smiling and introducing herself to the other people at the table. She seats herself on the other side of Freddie and turns to me face me, smiling like nothing at all is wrong. "And Naomi, how are you. I heard you have been in hospital? I'm glad to see you looking well again."

I'm gobsmacked; didn't she just see me this afternoon?

Freddie cuts in, "Darling, of course you know Emily, my lovely partner."

_What the actual fucking fuck? Partner?_

"Your partner?" is all I can manage to say.

"My business partner darling; Emily and I run the company."

I turn to her, "You're his business partner? At the company?"

She smiles again and laughs lightly. "Yes, that's right. Freds designs the outside; I design the insides."

"So you're an interior designer?"

She nods and I swear her gaze drops for a moment to my cleavage before she quickly looks away, joining in the conversation that has sparked up. The business talk is lost on me and I'm feeling rather ill; everything is going fuzzy. I vaguely hear Freddie asking if I am alright and somehow I manage to reassure him that I'm fine and just need some fresh air for a moment.

I make my way through to the other side of the restaurant and out to the massive balcony overlooking London. I lean on the railing and try to calm myself. I'm a fucking mess. My mind is all over the place, I'm utterly confused and I'm seeing flashes of red. Music starts ringing in my ears which definitely isn't coming from back inside –

_The purple haired woman is showing me some documents, and try as I might I can't clearly understand what they say. It looks like a bunch of legal papers, or a contract, but I'm not sure. I'm feeling nervous but strangely powerful. I sign something and try to see the woman's face but the scene has already changed._

_I'm definitely at the sea this time. Laying on my back in the sand, I feel a warm hand enclosed in mine. The words are coming out of my mouth before I realise it, "I love you so fucking much, you know that right?" I'm rolling over to face my companion when –_

"Naomi?"

It's Emily. Of course it is. The red head is developing a habit of appearing everywhere. I'm slightly annoyed at her for snapping me out of whatever the fuck these flashes are.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asks. I shake my head, and she lights up a cigarette, taking a deep drag before offering it to me. I accept it and eye her warily. Something about this situation feels wrong but I can't place my finger on exactly what it is. I take my eyes off her and stare out over the city. We share the smoke in silence but I can feel her gaze flickering back and forth to me.

Finally Emily speaks. "So you really don't remember anything?"

"I really don't," I reply with a sigh.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lie. "I was just a bit hot inside."

"I don't mean that Naomi."

Turning to face her, I frown slightly. "What do you want Emily?"

"I'm asking in general. This must be so frightening for you; I can't imagine being thrown into a world of people who claim to know me but are virtually strangers. So are you alright? Is Freddie treating you well?"

I smile; she is the first person who seems to get it, like actually get it. I can't stop myself as the words come falling out of my mouth all too honestly. "I feel like this isn't my life, you know, I have no fucking idea who I am any more, but I'm not ME. I never thought I'd be this woman with her rich husband and fancy clothes and expensive cars. I have a fucking maid for christs sake. I don't know what the fuck has happened to me and to my life but everything is just wrong. I don't speak to my best friends anymore; nobody has been able to help me contact them! Everything is just… just wrong."

Emily offers me another fag and I gratefully accept. I don't feel uncomfortable that I just opened up so much to this woman; something about her makes me believe she is trustworthy. She's the first person I've met lately who seems like she is actually real, like a normal person. She may be Freddie's business partner but there's something about her that is different to all the rest of these big company people.

She looks around before leaning in closer towards me; I don't pull away. "I know, I know what you mean Naoms."

_Naoms?_

"I know you, and I know that this isn't your life; this isn't what you want. You and I, we know each other Naomi! I KNOW you. I… I care about you so, so much."

I'm startled by her heartfelt confession and as Emily grabs on to my hand I feel like I've been given an electric shock. "Naomi… I love you. And you love me! We're in love! It's us, we're Naomi and Emily. We're meant to be together; we ARE together. It's just… things are complicated at the moment!"

_Well that was the last thing I was expecting to hear today!_ I laugh nervously, _surely this has to be some sort of bizarre joke? _

"Emily, I'm married to Freddie… I mean, I may not remember any of it but I have the wedding photos and the ring and the ridiculous life to prove it!" I drop Emily's hand. "What are you trying to say to me anyway? That you and I have having an affair?" I laugh but she doesn't join me. She looks hurt and I shake my head feeling utterly bizarre.

"Naomi I'm sorry, I can't imagine how you must be feeling. But please, you have to realise how much I care about you. I can help you, I can. You just have to let me in."

I can't deal with this; it's all too much in one day. I'm completely overwhelmed. "Emily I'm sorry, I just… I'm married. I can't, okay? I… this is too much, I'm sorry." I turn to leave and I as I'm walking away the hairs on the back of my neck prickle; I know her gaze is burning into me.

Back at the table Freddie is laughing and drinking with his business people. They barely notice me slip back in to the table, not even Freddie acknowledges my return. I down my champagne in one hit, and then another. Emily doesn't return for another 10 minutes, and when she does her eyes are definitely bloodshot. She joins the conversation and avoids my eyes for the rest of the night, leaving me to sit in my own silence more confused than ever.


	8. Chapter 8 - More Mystery

**What is this Dani, you're asking? Updating twice in one day?!**

**Well, thanks to the kind reviewers of chapter 7, who motivated me to keep going today! This chapter was meant to be a bit of a filler and I actually intended to answer some of Naomi's questions for you guys... but, here we are with even more mysteries! I can tell you now that next chapter things are going to heat up. For the moment though, someone has a hangover - **

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Emily.

She's the first thing on mind as I open my eyes groggily the next morning. The sun is blinding me and my head immediately starts pounding when I sit up. I squint around and see Elisabeth at my side with a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Miss Naomi," she says passing me the cup. With a sparkle in her eyes she hands me 2 little pills, "For the headache," she adds with a wink, before leaving. Bless her.

I don't know how much champagne I drank last night but it must have been a shit load; I feel ridiculously hung over. After the shock of seeing the mysterious red head again, only to find out she is my husband's business partner, then being told by her that we are having an affair, life got a bit too much for me. I don't think anyone even noticed how blindly drunk I was getting and it was only at the end that I proclaimed to Freddie that I wanted to go dancing that I think he actually took any notice of me at all. Freddie laughed it off and the men from Enterprise laughed with him, telling him how fabulously lovely and funny his drunk wife was. He made sure we ended the night soon after that, and packed me into the limousine to head home. Sadly no dancing for Naomi this time.

I finally drag myself out of bed and into the shower, and by the time I've scrubbed myself clean and soaked in the steaming hot water, I'm feeling better. I wander through the apartment and find Freddie on the phone to someone, laughing pretentiously and talking of some party or other. I roll my eyes and nod to him as I pass, heading out to the little balcony where I seat myself in a patch of sunshine. I check that Freddie can't see me before sneakily lighting up a fag and inhaling deeply. I try to block out the sound of his voice and enjoy it, but I can't. I can hear him laughing like a twat and it makes me angry. What the fuck is wrong with me? I can't believe I would have ever married someone like him. He's not a bad person but he's so fucking fake. Him and his cars and his suits and his huge fucking Kensington apartment. It's insanity. I don't know why mum's such a sucker for him; she seemed to be happy enough that I married him. She's the one who taught me to stand up to these sorts of people, to fight for good, true causes, to not get caught up in this materialistic world. Everyone that I've met the past few weeks, even Karen who I'm apparently best friends with, are just fucking plastic.

Except for her.

"Emily." I whisper her name under my breath and I get shivers down my spine. I don't know much, if anything at all, about the mysterious, sexy red head. But there's something about her. When I opened up to her, before she told me we were having an affair, it just felt right. Like I could trust her. Like I could say anything at all to this person and she wouldn't judge me. She got me. She understood what I was talking about. I just don't know why she told me we were having an affair. I'm not the sort of person who cheats; I would never cheat on someone.

_Then again you're not the sort of person to drive a fucking Mercedes around, are you Naomi,_ asks the little voice in my head.

I frown to myself, feeling annoyed. Why would I cheat on Freddie? I mean, why the fuck would I marry him in the first place, but surely I had my reasons, so why would I be cheating? Yes Emily is ridiculously gorgeous, there's no denying that, and if a woman like her was hitting on me when I was single I wouldn't think twice, but no matter what, I wouldn't cheat on someone. I have my values and I like to think that I'm the sort of person who will stand by my beliefs.

The sound of Freddie calling out to me interrupts me from my chain of thought and I hastily throw the last of my fag over the railing. "Oh, there you are darling, sorry. That was Emily on the phone. She said she had a lovely time last night; she thinks Enterprise will be ready to sign off on the deal as soon as they see the apartments. We're heading into the city later this afternoon to meet with them and show them the building. You'll come, won't you?"

Emily. She's popping up everywhere isn't she. Part of me wants to say no, but most of me wants to say yes. I have to face the red head and sort this mess out. Surely there's some misunderstanding or something. "That's great Freds, of course I'll come with you."

He smiles at me then a funny look crosses his face. "Were you smoking out here darling?"

I pause, caught like a deer in headlights. "Oh…. well I, um..."

"Don't worry," he cuts me off, "I know you like to have one when you're feeling stressed." He takes a seat next to me and stares at me. "This must be so hard for you darling, I'm sorry. Listen, I know things are full on at the moment. As soon as this deal is closed, and everything's been signed off, how about you and I take a break. A holiday if you like. We'll go anywhere you want. Maybe we will go to France, down to my family's châteaux in Cannes. We'll get away from everything and just have a week for the two of us. What do you say?"

_How thrilling, a week with Freddie in a châteaux in France. _No doubt we'll be wining and dining every night at exclusive restaurants with exclusive wankers. Fuck it. "That sounds great," I reply, though no part of me whatsoever wants to go. Fingers crossed I get my memories back sooner rather than later.

He's thrilled that I've agreed and he smiles at me. Before I can stop him he's leaning in and kissing me gently on the lips. My body freezes but my lips gently press back anyway. He pulls away, still smiling. "I've missed you, you know."

I'm confused. "You've missed me? I've been here all this time haven't I?"

"Yes but darling, before your accident I was so busy with work, and you've been busy with your project. We just haven't been able to spend as much time together as we would like to."

"My project? Which one do you mean?"

He laughs. "Oh darling, I don't know which one exactly. You haven't mentioned anything to me about it but I know you've been working on a little something on the side. I've asked, but I'm afraid you haven't given me any details. I know you've been putting a lot of work into things though. I'm afraid I just don't know exactly what."

"Oh, right… well, not to worry. I'm sure it will come to me sooner or later."

"That's the spirit love. Listen. I'm going to head into the office now to meet with Emily and get some documents together. If all goes well this afternoon when we see Enterprise then we should be signing off on this thing very soon. Get Elisabeth to make you some breakfast and put on something nice, I'll be home in a few hours and we can head over to the apartments together."

"Okay, sounds great," I agree as he gets up to leave. _But I'll make my own fucking breakfast._

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Alas, when I head into the kitchen to make myself some food, Elisabeth bustles me out again and plonks me down at the table with a tray of croissants and jam. "Elisabeth… this is amazing! Thank you so much." I don't know how I'm going to eat all of this but it looks fucking delicious.

"It is no problem, Miss Naomi," she replies.

"Please, won't you join me for breakfast?" She looks startled, and refuses politely. But I'm having none of it. "Come on, I can't eat all of this and it looks too good to go to waste! Please?"

She looks around warily and cheekily I add, "He just left."

Smiling, she pulls a chair and sits opposite me. We begin to chat and she tells me of her life growing up in the country in Spain and how she came to England when she was a young woman with her husband. They lived for many years in Newcastle before coming down to London a couple of years ago. She has 2 boys who are now in their 30's, and her husband sadly passed away a few years ago. When I ask her why she works here for Freddie and I, she smiles and tells me that she loves working for us, we are like a family to her and we give her a nice place to live and pay her well.

I don't know what I expected to hear from her but I wasn't expecting to about how happy she was working as my maid. I never understood the idea of having someone in your house and paying them to do your chores, but after this conversation my views have changed. Elisabeth is a caring, intelligent, hard working woman who may not have had the easiest life, but she now had two sons who she could be proud of and lived with a family in London earning quite decent money doing work she enjoyed. _Well good on her then._

"Can I ask you something?" I say suddenly, an idea in my mind.

"Of course, anything you like," she replies.

"My husband… Freddie, he said that I was working on a project? Do you know anything about this?"

"A project? Of which sort do you mean?"

"Well that's the problem, I don't actually know. He said he had no idea what exactly but I thought maybe you've seen me working on something, or doing some sort of paperwork when Freddie isn't home?"

"I haven't been spying on you Miss Naomi!"

"No no… I don't mean that, and I don't think you would. I just mean, have you seen me looking somewhere at something, perhaps when Freddie wasn't around?"

"I really do not know, sorry Miss. But you could have a look in your desk; perhaps if you have something you want to keep private you would keep it in there?"

_My desk? _"Oh right, of course… my desk. Erm, would you mind pointing me in the right direction to it, Elisabeth?"

She smiles, the sparkle returning to her eyes. "Miss Naomi, I will show you of course."

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Elisabeth shows me down the hall into a study which I had assumed was Freddie's, but she assures me is my own. She leaves me to explore and I smile as I look around. Books line the walls and I'm pleased to see many of my favourite pieces of literature lining the shelves in front of me. I run my fingers lightly over their spines before turning my attention to my desk. There are no photographs here; nor any clues to solve any of the countless mysteries that I seem to be surrounded by these days. I go through the first draw; nothing, just some pens and envelopes. I tug on the second, larger draw and am frustrated to find that it is locked. I look around for a key, but I can't find anything.

I slam my fist down in anger and swear loudly. Collapsing into the leather chair I sigh in frustration. I look around the room for some sort of inspiration but nothing comes. Try as hard as I might, nothing at all is coming back to me.

My eyes land on a strange looking pink thing on the desk. It looks like some advanced sort of music player. I always used a Walkman for CD's and only recently – well, recently in my memory anyway – had I learnt about mp3 players. I put the headphones in my ears and figure the button with the play symbol is a good place to start, but it comes up with a menu on the screen.

_Patience is a virtue, Naomi. _

Swallowing the annoyance which is threatening to bubble over again, I patiently play around with the buttons until music suddenly starts playing in my ears. I instantly recognise it, though I have no idea where from. Their music is different to anything I've ever heard before; soft, fluid, and melodic.

A girl starts to sing and her voice is haunting. Shivers run down my spine as I hear her words and I feel as though I could almost sing along; the words are at the tip of my tongue. I glance at the screen and see the band name, _Innocent Delirium_. Not one that I have heard of before but the sounds are so familiar, before I know what has happened I've listened to their entire album. I remove the headphones and place the music player into the first draw. As I'm doing this I remember Freddie said to get ready to go see the apartments and I sigh, wishing I could sit for longer and listen to the beautiful music I just heard.

I'm about to close the drawer when I spot something that makes my blood turn to ice - a notepad that I didn't see when I first checked. Entirely blank, except for one word written in the corner.

Emily.

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**Please leave me a review guys! See you soon for chapter 9 :)**


	9. Chapter 9 - Grand Designs

**I wrote this chapter then rewrote it and then rewrote it again, so I hope you like it! It's pretty inspired by the scene in the new Great Gatsby movie where Jay is showing Daisy around his mansion - if you haven't seen the movie yet what are you doing? Go and watch it!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing and following this fic, I really appreciate every comment so feel free to leave me your opinion on this chapter too :)**

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Emily's name scrawled on the corner of the notepad is taunting me, as if the universe is laughing at my misfortune. Why on earth can't I just remember something? I have no idea why it's written there, well, if I believe what she told me then I get the general idea. But I just can't see myself being the sort of person to cheat, especially since I'm married. If I married Freddie once upon a time, surely I had my reasons. I may not know them now or remember them, but I have to trust myself don't I?

I stare at Emily's name for a few more minutes pondering my life, until reluctantly putting it back in the drawer and leaving to get ready. As much as I don't want to spend an afternoon with Freddie and the men from Enterprise talking business, I am so intrigued by the mysterious red head that I simply have to go. I need to see her, maybe have a moment to talk to her without being awash with champagne. I might not believe that I'm having an affair with her but that doesn't mean I don't want to know her. It's that rare, bizarre feeling you get when you meet someone, that one in a billion person, and within a moment of meeting them something tells you that you can no longer live your life without them, without knowing who they are and what they're all about. It's a crazy feeling but it feels so right.

I stare at the bland selection of clothes filling the massive closet in front of me in despair; it's disgusting, really. Beige, black, brown. No bright colours, no patterns. I can't believe I'm staring at my own clothes. I dig deeper in and miraculously find a few pieces more to my taste deep behind the initial row of clothes. I grab a simple blue dress, and put it on with some leggings and boots. _At least I have a splash of colour in here somewhere, _I think to myself.

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Freddie arrives home not long after that and we head down to the street where his limousine is waiting for us. I climb in first and my throat tightens when I realise we won't be alone on this drive – of course she's here.

"Oh… Emily, hi. How are you?" I seat myself awkwardly next to her as Freddie gets in straight after me. I'm all too aware of our arms gently brushing against each other, and her soft skin gives me goose bumps.

Her soft brown eyes smile warmly back at mine. "Hey you, how are you feeling today?"

Freddie butts in with a laugh, "Oh she was a bit worse for wear this morning, weren't you darling?"

I frown. "Actually, I was fine, I am fine, thanks." I'm lying, I was hung over as shit, but I don't need Freddie to make me feel like an idiot in front of Emily.

She smiles at me anyway and its catchy; I grin stupidly back at her. I'm not smiling for long though, as Freddie begins to tell me about the apartments and discuss details of contracts with Emily, all the while I sit awkwardly between them both. I find myself wishing for the drive to be over, and as if my prayers are being answered, Freddie suddenly announces that we've arrived.

The building itself isn't anything overly impressive, just your standard high rise in my opinion. I recognise the men from last night waiting out the front, and Freddie rushes to greet them without a second glance at me. I feel a hand gently touch my shoulder and Emily grins, "Come on, you'll love the inside."

I follow them through the wide glass entrance, and my breath is taken away. My opinion of it being a dull, average apartment block changes immediately as I struggle to take in all the detail at once. Great big ponds line the windows of the lobby and beautiful large goldfish swim under our feet as we walk along the glass floors. Above me the ceiling is just as magical as the floor; from the roof, lights hang at different heights with huge spherical covers made of woven blues and silvers, light shining through the cracks giving the room a magical feeling. The walls are white with flecks of silver scattered through the paint, and beautiful sculptures of fish swim across the sea of white and silver. Through an archway we walk on, down a couple of stairs where the room opens up to a beautiful bar and restaurant. Tables and chairs are built around a centre fountain of a mermaid and her lover, a human man. They are embracing and fish are delicately placed around them. It's absolutely beautiful; I feel as though I've stepped into another world.

"Do you like it then?" Emily asks.

"It's perfect!" I cry out with delight. "It's magical and enchanting and beautiful." The whole place has a modern feel about it but the design of it is unlike anything I've witnessed before. Freddie and the other men have made it to the other side of the room already and are signalling to Emily that they are heading outside. She nods and calls out to them that she will show me around and meet up with them.

I'm captivated, "Did you make all this Emily?"

"Yep… Well, I mean, I designed it. I didn't make everything myself but yes, I created the look."

"But how? How do you put something together so creative and beautiful? It's absolutely incredible. I love it!"

Shyly she smiles, and says, "It's easy to create something beautiful when you're inspired by love."

I look at her and she laughs, and she skips off to an elevator. "Come on, I want to show you something!"

I smile and follow her, and we end up at the top floors, in the buildings very own nightclub. It's equally as impressive as the lobby and restaurant; although it doesn't quite have the desired effect when all the lights are on. A huge open dance floor is surrounded by bar stools and sofas; blue and silver glitter has been sprayed over the black walls which line the side of the room not opened up by windows. Glass stretching from floor to the top of the second floor stretch along the room and above us the roof is glass. A beautiful staircase at the end of the room curls up to the second whish is just a balcony overlooking the dance floor. It looks like it's probably the VIP area; midnight blue curtains hang outside booths which all have their own individual chandeliers which look more like glass jellyfish to fit in with the theme of the building.

But it's the massive, cylindrical fish tank which is replacing a pillar holding up the partial second floor, that has my attention. It spans the entire two stories of the night club; it even appears to go all the way to the roof. Beautiful, tropical fish of all types and colours swim around a huge, beautifully designed vertical piece of reef. I'm mesmerised by them and for a moment get distracted watching a little clownfish poking its head in and out again of an anemone.

I turn to face Emily but she has disappeared. I call out to her but I don't get a response. All the lights suddenly go out and the only light coming in is the dull glow from the city outside, and the deep blue glow from the fish tank.

"Emily?" I call out again, this time more warily. I still don't get a response, but a sweet melody suddenly fills the air around me. A blue light flickers, then another, then another. I recognise the music as the band I listened to yesterday; the song playing is one of their more upbeat ones. I smile as splashes of purple and white light are thrown in with the blue; perfectly in time with the beat of the music.

I don't waste my breath calling out to her again, I feel safe and I know it is her playing this song for me. I close my eyes and enjoy the music, the singer's voice haunting as ever. She sounds so familiar I just can't place my finger on where I've heard her voice before. _Probably from another band or something, _I muse. I make a mental note to myself to look them up and see if I can pick where she's from, but all thoughts are washed from my mind when a pair of soft arms wraps slowly around me. I don't freeze up at the touch, instead I find myself leaning into them. It's her, I know it isn't Freddie. I don't need to see her face to know her touch.

We sway together before she twirls me around and we're dancing like crazy people, laughing at absolutely nothing and just enjoying the music. I fling my arms around and spin in circles; thinking I am the cleverest person ever I attempt to do some ridiculous ballet style jump. However, despite all the radical changes in my life since I was 17, one thing apparently hasn't changed – I'm clumsy as shit, and I stumble, falling directly into Emily. Her strength surprises me and instead of us both collapsing to the ground like I thought we surely would, we remain standing, although the position I'm in is quite compromising. My hands have landed directly on her tits and we hold eye contact for a moment before I blush and apologise.

Before I realise what's happening she is kissing me.

Her soft lips press to mine purposely, and I'm startled but don't pull away. She kisses me like I've never been kissed before; she has a sense of urgency and I kiss her back, not wanting to disappoint. All rational thought has escaped me and I can only focus on one thought – _Too many clothes!_

I start desperately grabbing at her clothes but she stops, and I don't think I've ever been so disappointed. She laughs and grabs my hand.

"Come on, I want to show you something else," she says, dragging me back to reality. She pulls me to the lift again, and back in the bright light of the real world my head is spinning, _what the fuck just happened?_ My mind is racing and I am all too aware of our hands holding on to each other, but something feels right and against my perhaps better judgement, I don't let go. We're heading up one more level to the roof. As the doors slide open, I smile. The rooftop is beautiful, of course. Another bar; and deck chairs lining infinity pool which seems to just drop off to the city. To my right, I can see down into the nightclub, through its glass roof. The design up here is more simplistic and modern but I'm not so interested in the design right now. The sun is setting behind Emily and her fiery red hair is ablaze with the light. She walks ahead of me over to the railing, and I follow her, my mind still buzzing. I suddenly feel dizzy and she turns to me, I can faintly hear her asking me if I'm alright, but the smell of her strawberry perfume has suddenly become overwhelming and before I can answer her -

_The scene has already changed. I'm lying down on a bed and it's moving gently beneath me; apparently I'm somewhere on a boat. I'm naked and a warm body is pressing into my back. A hand gently reaches around my waist and cups my breast. I smile as gentle kisses trail down my spine. _

_I find myself asking, "are you sure everything's going to be alright?" _

_"Of course it will. We just need to stick this out a few more weeks until everything's settled, then we can do whatever we like babe. You and I, we'll be free." _

_I roll over to face my companion._

_Emily._

_._

_._

_._

"NAOMI!?"

"What… what is it?" I'm so confused, I'm sitting on a deck chair, and it takes me a few moments to realise we are on the rooftop. The sun is down and it's fucking freezing; I'm shivering.

"What happened just now? Are you alright?" Emily's voice is filled with concern and I shake my head, trying to clear it.

"Yeah… I'm okay, sorry. What happened?"

"I don't know! I turned around and you had a weird look on your face, I sat you down and you've been in some kind of trance for five minutes or so!"

She looks frightened, and I try to reassure her that I'm okay but she can see straight through my lies.

"Tell me what happened, Naomi!" she demands, her eyes burning into mine.

"Emily, I saw… I mean, I don't know if it was real or if it was a dream or what… but I saw US Emily."

Her breath draws in sharply. "So you remember? Naomi, this is wonderful, everything's going to be okay! We -"

I cut her off, "Emily I didn't see everything. I didn't even see anything. I mean, I did, I was in bed with you… you were telling me everything would be alright in a few weeks, we just had to wait for something."

I'm terribly confused. Is this proof that Emily was telling me the truth? But it doesn't make sense; none of my questions have been answered. I feel frustrated, with myself, with this stupid amnesia, with Freddie's stupid laughter and…. _Hang on, his laughter?_

"Shit!" I hiss, realising I can actually hear him laughing. Emily stands up fast just as Freddie and the men come around into our view.

"HERE they are! We've been looking all over the place for you ladies."

"So sorry Freds, Naomi really loved seeing all the design, we got caught up downstairs and I showed her the club," Emily replies smoothly. She turns to the businessmen to ask them how they enjoyed the building, and their words of praise echo around me. I feel someone sit themselves beside me but it's not Emily's warm body this time.

"Darling, are you alright? You look quite pale."

Freddie rubs my leg and as I catch Emily's eye I feel ill at the touch. "I'm fine, really. I guess I'm just feeling a bit tired."

"Come on," he says. "Let's get you home. You look like you could do with a nice meal."

I reluctantly get up, completely overwhelmed by the afternoon's turn of events. We head back to the lobby and shake hands with the Enterprise men before getting back in to the limousine. We're giving Emily a ride home but this Freddie has managed to park himself in between Emily and I, and I can tell I'm not the only one who has to make an effort to laugh falsely at his jokes or hum in agreement with his business talk. Emily gets out of the limo and thanks Freddie for a ride, and I don't miss the small wink she gives me before retreating into her building. I stare after her, red hair glistening under the moonlight, and find myself desperately wishing that I too were walking up the path into the building, holding her hand as we did for the short time this afternoon.

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	10. Chapter 10 - Innocent Delirium

**So so sorry about the delayed updates! Things have been crazy with uni etc, BUT I haven't given up on this! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and followed the story, it means the world and keeps me going! Hopefully this chapter will make up for the delay between updates. Hoping to have another chapter out in the next week! - Dani**

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The next morning I'm back in my office the minute Freddie has left for work. I've managed to hook up the music player and am listening to the band, Innocent Delirium, again. There's something about them that reaches me intimately, like the music is actually touching my soul. I'm so affected by the lyrics, it's like they mean so much to me although I am only hearing them for the first or second time. I feel safe and peaceful listening to the girl's voice and for a while everything just washes away.

I'm rudely interrupted by a sharp chiming sound coming from my handbag which is sitting on the armchair by the window. I would just ignore it but, curious by nature, I just can't resist. I dig through my bag until I find the strange device, "MyPhone" or whatever the fuck Pandora said it was. I tap around until I'm able to find out what made the noise; a text message from E.

_Well, at least I know who E is now. _I smile and open the message,

_I want to see you, we need to talk. Can we go for brunch? E. x _

My stomach flips over, _fucks sake, butterflies? _I shake my head at myself and type back, 'Sure, where should I meet you?'

_I'll pick you up. Are you ready now? I can be there in 10._

I agree and take out my headphones, about to throw my phone back in my bag when it starts ringing in my hand. Thinking its Emily, I answer cheekily. "You missed me so much already?"

"Excuse me? Not likely Blondie!" comes a woman's scornful voice from the other end. _Shit – not Emily! _I mentally kick myself, before apologising to the woman.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!"

"Never mind. Listen, are we still on for Monday morning?"

_Monday morning? _I check the display on the phone, and see the name of the woman I must be speaking to – Katie. "Sorry, uh, Katie is it?"

"Seriously Naomi, what the fuck's wrong with you? Listen, I can't talk but I just wanted to remind you about Monday. Everything's sorted and ready to go, so all I need from you now is a few signatures and we can proceed."

"Oh, right, okay. Where should I meet you then?" I have no idea what the fuck this woman, Katie, is talking about. I don't even know who she is, but I've decided that I need to be proactive about things if I want to get my life back. So, I'll go meet this strange, snappy woman and find out what the fuck is going on. Hell, maybe I'm having two affairs. I roll my eyes at myself as the thought passes through my head. _One affair is enough for you, Campbell._

"Come to my office," she says, almost sarcastically. "You DO remember where it is, don't you? Corner of Wentworth and Bell, 10th floor, suite 1012. See you at 9am alright?" Before I can agree or say anything else the line goes dead. _What the fuck was that all about?_ I jot down the address she gave me before it's gone from my mind, gathering my things in a rush as I hear the sound of the intercom.

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"So, where are you taking me?"

Emily smiles, "we're going to one of my favourite spots. You'll love it there, the food's great."

We step out on to the street, and I wonder briefly how we are going to get to wherever we're going. My question is answered as Emily swings me a red motorcycle helmet - one of those old style ones where there isn't a visor, just a little flap to shade your eyes. She's putting hers on, and I stare at the beaten up old red moped that is parked on the side of the street.

"You're joking right?" I say with a laugh.

"Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, it's just… not what I expected you to be driving. It's very… well, it's lovely."

She grins at me and swings herself onto it. "I thought you'd rather take the scooter today since it's such a nice day out. Come on, jump on."

Awkwardly I get on behind her and put my arms around her waist. Rather terrified, I cling on to her as she takes off. We zip through the streets of London, and my fears wash away as I enjoy the summer breeze rushing past me as we drive along. I enjoy the ride thoroughly and am sad it's ended when we pull up outside a small cafe on the river in Greenwich. We take a seat out on the deck overlooking the water; it really is a beautiful day, the weather in London has been unseasonably good for this time of year. We order coffee to start and make small talk about the weather, until Emily decides to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Naomi, listen. I wanted to talk to you about what's happening. I understand that you are going through a LOT, and I can't begin to imagine how you are feeling. But you have to get your memory back. You need to remember. I need you to remember!"

"I know," I sigh. "I want nothing more than to have my memory back too. This is just… I don't know, it's terrifying Emily. I don't know who I am; I don't know what's going on in my life."

"I know who you are Naomi, I know you better than you think. I can help you, if you will trust me."

I do trust her; I know that I can trust her without thinking about it. I just don't know if I trust myself. I say this to her, adding, "How can I trust myself when I don't even know myself?"

"Didn't you tell me last night that you remembered something?"

She's staring right into my eyes, and I can tell she is searching desperately for something, trying to find some meaning in all this, just like me. I feel myself blushing under her piercing gaze and my own eyes flicker away from hers. I remember what I saw, me and her laying in a bed somewhere together. I don't know where or when it was but I remember the feeling of being so complete.

I nod in response to her question. "Yeah, I remembered. What does this all mean Emily? Why is this happening to me?"

She sighs and looks at me sadly. "I dunno babe. But we will figure it out. You just have to believe in yourself and trust me. Can you do that? Will you?"

I'm terrified, but she takes my hand and squeezes it gently. "I trust you," I hear myself saying.

Emily smiles. "Good," she says. "Because it's Friday today, and we have plans for the evening."

"Plans?"

She digs into her purse and pulls out two tickets, handing me one.

_30 Sept 8pm: Innocent Delirium. _

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It's after 7pm and Freddie still isn't back from the office. I spoke to him on the phone a few hours ago and mentioned I was going out with Karen for the evening. I'm not sure what made me lie, Emily said he would be fine if I told him we were hanging out together, but I didn't feel comfortable telling him the truth about where we were headed.

I managed to find something half decent to wear; of course from the back section of my wardrobe hidden behind the sea of blacks and browns. _I should really donate all the other colourless shit in there to the homeless_, I think to myself offhandedly. I'm momentarily distracted by my own reflection in the mirror; I'm still not used to seeing myself so thin and tanned. I guess I look good; it's just a shock that I'm not used to seeing just yet.

I slip on some boots and check my watch; 7.25. Emily will be here any minute so I decide to meet her on the street. I light up a fag while I wait; enjoying the warmth in the gentle breeze that blows past me down the street. Summer might almost be over but you sure wouldn't know it in this weather. Just as I finish, a cab pulls up next to me. I'm about to tell the driver I don't need a ride when I realise Emily is in the back. I smile at her and jump in.

She greets me with a squeeze of my leg and a lingering kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful," she says sincerely.

I blush, "thank you…"

"So, are you excited? These guys are your favourite band, after all."

They are? Well that explains why I love their music so much. "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it actually. I can't remember ever hearing them before now, but I love their songs." A sudden thought strikes me. "Oh, I wanted to ask – is the singer from an older band? Her voice sounds so familiar, but I don't know if that's why or if it's just because my subconscious remembers them."

A look passes over Emily's face that I can't quite interpret; it's gone as quickly as it came. "No, I don't think she was in another band. I think you'll understand when we see them playing tonight."

"You mean you think I'll have another flashback or something?"

"Well… maybe. I'm not sure what will happen."

I frown, "Is there something you want to tell me Emily?"

She smiles at me. "You said you'd trust me, yeah?"

"I do. I trust you Emily."

"Good. Then promise me you won't freak out?"

Now I'm confused. "Why would I freak out?"

"It's just… Well, if you remember, then things will be okay."

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I'm a little confused when we pull up at Hyde Park; I was expecting the show to be at an entertainment complex or an arena. Emily pays the driver, refusing to take any of my money, and we jump out.

"This way," she winks at me, leading me through the trees. The sun will be setting soon, and the lights are already lighting up along the pathways. It's rather beautiful, and I barely notice that we've left the main path and are heading towards a garden full of flowers and bushes. Emily slips through a couple of bushes with little purple flowers on them, and turns to me, "come on then!"

"Emily, I don't think we're meant to go through there!"

She makes a _pfft _sound and grabs my arm. "Come on!"

We wriggle through the trees and suddenly we're in a clearing. It's packed with people sitting on picnic rugs and groups of teens drinking from plastic cups. Lanterns line the edges of the clearing and a river with ducks casually swimming past cuts one side of the clearing. I would never have guessed that this clearing was here if Emily hadn't brought me; I can't believe there is a magical place like this right in the heart of London. A makeshift stage has been set up at the front of the crowd and a tent is sitting alongside it – I guess that's the bands dressing room.

"Emily, this is wonderful! How did you know about this place?"

While I was busy taking in the surroundings, Emily has managed to throw down a cute picnic rug and has produced an antipasto platter and two beers. I smile and take a seat next to her.

"Well, I kind of know the band," she replies with a grin.

"You DO?"

"Yeah, they're old friends."

"Wait… Emily, do I know the band?"

She winks at me. "Just wait and see babe."

I take a swig of my beer and light up another fag. _This is going to be interesting._

"So Innocent Delirium, they're not that big then?"

"Nah, they're just a local group. But, as you already know, their music is fantastic. I think they're bound to take off any time now. They're pretty popular in the UK, and they're starting to make a real name for themselves across Europe. It's only a matter of time."

We sit in silence for a few more minutes, enjoying watching other people around us and waiting for the mysterious band to come out. The sun has set completely now and the clearing is lit up with fairy lights and lanterns. I don't even notice people have stepped on stage until the music starts. I can make out four figures, but it's too dark to see any faces. The music is soft and melodious, just the sound of a violin and a flute. Silence for a moment, and I can hear wind chimes picking up the breeze, before I hear her voice. That haunting, heartbreakingly beautiful voice. She sings for a moment by herself, before the instruments start; a beat kicks in and the stage comes to life.

And I cannot believe my fucking eyes.

Effy. My beautiful Effy, my best friend in the world, holding a microphone in one hand, singing into it like she hasn't got a care in the world. In her other hand she's got a bottle of wine that she swigs on every now and then. She hasn't aged a day. She's wearing a short, flowing white dress with black boots and ripped tights, bracelets lining both wrists, her long brunette curls flowing down over her shoulders.

And Cook. Bashing away on the drums just as he always did. He has aged a bit, but not badly. He looks manlier, more grown up. He looks good, so does Effy. I know that they are happy; I can see it in both of their faces.

A blonde girl who I don't recognise is behind the DJ decks; creating beautiful synthetic rhythms to compliment Effy's voice and Cook's beats.

I recognise the fourth member playing the guitar as Effy's older brother, Tony. I've only met Tony once but I know his face instantly. He looks like a rock star, dressed smartly in a midnight blue suit.

I have to make a physical effort to shut my mouth after my jaw has dropped at the sight before me. I'm completely and utterly speechless, and I don't realise that I'm sitting perfectly still until Emily nudges me.

"Are you alright?" she shouts over the music.

I nod but can't say anything. I stare back at Effy and Cook, up there on the stage looking fucking fantastic and sounding brilliant. I can't believe I didn't pick up on Effy's voice before tonight; she has such a distinct sound it seems absurd to me now that I was so completely deaf. As if she can read my mind, her head snaps towards me and we stare at each other for a moment before she winks at me and looks back out over the rest of the crowd. A shiver runs down my spine and I grab Emily's hand without really knowing what I'm doing. We don't speak the whole show; I'm mesmerised by them. I try to catch Cook or Effy's eye, but the wink I got from Effy earlier was the only acknowledgement I got from either of them the whole night.

They finally finish their set and thank the crowd, before heading into their little tent by the stage. The crowd is buzzing; they put on a fucking brilliant performance.

"Naoms? Are you okay?"

I can't think straight, before I know what I'm saying I stand up in a rush. "Please, can we go?"

Emily is concerned. "Of course. But are you okay?"

"I'm… just take me home, please Emily."

I'm already walking toward the bushes and Emily runs to catch up with me after she has grabbed the blanket and her things.

"Naomi, wait!"

I turn around breathlessly. "I'm sorry, I just… it's too much Emily. You knew! You knew how confused I've been and you didn't tell me. Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I'm sorry Naomi, I really am. I thought it would be better for you to see them yourself. I didn't want to upset you, I just wanted to help."

"It's fine, just take me home. Please."

She looks sad but doesn't say anything else, and we head back up to the road without another word. I don't really realise I've just chain smoked 4 fags until Emily gently takes the one I'm now holding in my hand and stomps on it. "Those things will kill you, you know," she says softly, as we wait for a taxi.

I laugh under my breath. I glance back into the park, not sure what I am expecting to see, but nothing is there. I look to Emily and a wave of guilt washes over me as I see the look on her face. "I'm sorry."

She looks at me. "Don't be silly, I'm the one who is sorry! You were right, I should have told you, I –"

I cut her off, "No, really, it's not your fault. You did the right thing. It was just a shock, that's all."

She gives me a small smile and I'm suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss her. I don't, I'm not that bold, but I do lean in and kiss her on the nose; she's just a bit shorter than me so I'm at the perfect height to do so. I smile at her and take her hand. "Come on," I say, catching sight of a pub across the road. "Let's grab a drink before we call it a night. I owe you a beer, Fitch."

"You're on, Campbell," she says with a grin, as we dash across the street laughing like idiots.

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_**And, if you have a moment, pretty please leave me a review! :)**_


	11. Chapter 11 - Liaison Amoureuse

The first thing I see when I open my eyes the next morning is Freddie sitting next to me in bed, holding a mug of coffee out to me.

"Thanks," I say groggily, rubbing my eyes with a yawn.

"Pleasure. How was your evening?"

"Oh – um, it was good actually. Karen and I went into the city for some dinner and then had a few drinks at a pub before we came home." _Please don't ask what restaurant we went to, _I'm silently praying. The lie rolled right out of my mouth before I could even process what I was saying; I'm surprised at myself actually.

Freddie smiles warmly at me and guilt washes over me. I should really make more of an effort to get to know this guy. We did marry each other after all; I might not know why, but we did once upon a time. I suddenly feel overwhelmed with the events of the past few days. I really should be making an effort. If I actually am having an affair then I must have my reasons, but maybe things are different now. I don't remember anything and Freddie has been nothing but a gentleman towards me. He's still sleeping in the guestroom every night, which is extremely generous of him considering I am his wife.

We sit down for breakfast together and he picks up a paper to read. I glimpse the date and shiver, I still can't quite grasp that it's not 2006 anymore. I'm altogether avoiding thinking about last night, but memories keep squeezing themselves back into my mind. Effy, looking glowing and happy, singing in front of an absolutely adoring crowd. Cook, not so boyish anymore but still that same cheeky face, grinning for the world not giving a fuck. I can't believe that I saw them, that Emily knows them, she KNEW about them and didn't tell me. I understand why she did it but I can't help feeling a little betrayed. I couldn't bring myself to go and talk to them after the show; it was all just too much. I'm scared and confused and I don't understand why Freddie doesn't know who they are; I don't understand why they aren't a part of my life anymore. Or are they? I really don't know what the fuck is going on. It's starting to feel as though there is two Naomi's in this strange, mixed up future. They seem to lead two completely different lives and I don't know which one I am.

I sigh and shake my head a little, trying to push the thoughts from my mind. Freddie catches my eye and looks concerned. "Are you alright darling?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say. The lies apparently come naturally to me these days. I remember my decision to make an effort, and change my mind. "Actually, I feel terrible! Everything is crazy at the moment… I'm really struggling to figure out who I am. My life, this life now, is so different to what it was only a few weeks ago. Well, for me anyway. I don't know who I am anymore Fred."

"Darling don't be upset, it's okay for you to feel confused. This is a big thing that's happened to you; maybe we should get you in to see a therapist. I might give your doctor a call on Monday; he might be able to prescribe you something to deal with things…"

I'm annoyed that he isn't trying to comfort me, only pushing me towards therapy and medication. "I don't need a shrink! And I don't need some antidepressants to turn me into a zombie with no thoughts or emotions!"

"Sorry love, if that's not what you want then you don't have to. I just want you to be better."

_I'm sure you do. _"It's okay. Just… can we do something together today? I'd really like to get out of London, you know, maybe we can go for a drive to the countryside or something?" I really do need to get out of the city, away from everything for a while.

"Well you know I would love to darling, but I have golf today. I always golf on a Saturday." He's says it like I should know better than to ask for companionship on a Saturday.

"Oh, alright, not to worry." I feel a little rejected, _excuse me. I'm just your fucking wife who has severe amnesia, no need to worry about me._

I think he catches the look on my face because he adds as an afterthought, "would you like to join me at the country club? I'm sure some of the other wives will be there if you'd like to spend the day in their company? I'll be back after we play and you can join the lads and myself for drinks in the evening."

Well, just as thrilling as it sounds spending the day with the other idiotic trophy wives, I think I'll decline. "It's alright," I say. "I'll find something to do around here. Maybe I'll call Karen or something."

Freddie smiles that charming smile of his again, although its effects are absolutely zero on me. "That's the spirit, darling".

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Not even 10 minutes after Freddie has left - dressed to the nines in Tommy Hilfiger I might add, looking like a complete and utter twat – I am bored out of my mind. I can't stop thinking about last night, about her. Emily. My phone is in my hand and I am staring at her phone number. I've been staring at it for at least 5 minutes when I bite the bullet and push it. She picks up after only 1 ring.

"Naomi, hi," she says in that husky, sexy as fuck voice.

"Can we go somewhere?" I'm not in the mood to chat. I need to get the fuck out of here.

"Of course we can," she replies, and I can hear the concern in her voice. "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere." _Anywhere with you._

"I'm on my way. I'll pick you up shortly."

We hang up and I make my way down to the street. I don't even get though half my fag before she pulls up in a revamped classic black BMW cabriolet. _Seriously, can this girl be any cooler?_ She looks hot as fuck with her red hair flowing down her shoulders, mirrored aviator sunglasses on, dressed in tight jeans and a white singlet top.

"Wow Emily, nice ride," I say as I sink into the beige leather passenger seat.

"Thanks," she replies, adding with a wink, "thought you would prefer this over the scooter today."

We drive in silence and I enjoy the changing scenery as we head south out of London. It's refreshing to not be crowded in by the dark, gloomy buildings; instead to pass by cute villages, farms, rivers and forests along the way. I'm so absorbed with peacefulness that we continue to drive in silence for a decent hour or so. Soon enough, curiosity gets the better of me, and I ask where we are headed.

Emily replies simply, "to the sea."

I give her a questioning glance and she smiles shyly. "I know you like to get away from the city when you're under too much pressure."

She is so sweet and lovely that I can't stand it. I don't know how she knows me so well but she does. I love the sea. And I needed to get out of London. I grab her hand and squeeze it.

"Thank you Emily."

"For what?"

"For being you. You just knew exactly what I needed today, and you made it happen. You've done so much for me these past few days, weeks. So thank you."

"I'd do anything for you Naomi. I want nothing more than for you to get your memory back so you realise how much I mean everything I'm saying."

I don't need my memory to know that she is sincere, I can hear it so clearly in her voice; see it so clearly in her eyes and her face. She is the most sincere and honest person I've ever known, even if I only remember knowing her for little over a week. "I know you mean everything Emily," I say softly.

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Another hour or so goes by and I can smell the sea in the air. The salty smell is so delicious and soothing; it just feels like home to me. We park at a little marina and Emily leads us to a gorgeous yacht which is docked among other smaller fishing trawlers and sailboats.

_'Liaison Amoureuse'_ reads the name of Emily's boat. I'm a little rusty on my French but the best I can translate it is 'Love Affair'. Cute. A wave of dizziness washes over me from nowhere and I squint as the sunlight suddenly becomes much too bright –

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_I'm laughing with someone, Emily, it's always Emily. We're hurrying through a little marina, she's pulling me along, before suddenly stopping me in front of a beautiful yacht._

_I gasp, 'Emily, it's stunning! I can't believe you bought a sailboat!'_

_She looks pleased, 'You like it then?'_

_'It's beautiful!'_

_'I called her Liaison Amoureuse," she says, showing me the name printed proudly on the side of the boat._

_._

I blink in the sunlight and I'm staring at the same boat I just saw in the flashback.

"I've been here before, haven't I Emily?"

She smiles at me, that knowing, lovely smile. "Of course you have. This is where we stay most weekends."

We board the yacht and Emily sails out of the marina and into the open sea. We drop the anchor just after the town vanishes from the horizon. I love the feeling of being completely away from everything and everyone, it's as if Emily and I are the only two people left; it's just us and the open sea.

"Come on, let's go for a dip," she says.

"I didn't bring anything to swim in!"

I swear she rolls her eyes at me. "Come on Campbell," she says, pulling off her singlet to reveal a cute green bra, oh so perfectly cupping her breasts. I snap myself out of it before she catches me staring at her tits and roll my own eyes back at her, acting as though she's simply forcing me to go in the water.

"Fine," I say, "but no peeking!" I turn around and take off my own top and skirt, only to turn back around catching Emily shamelessly staring at me ass.

"You perv! I told you not to look!"

She laughs, "Not sorry!"

I laugh too and give her a little shove and then we're laughing like idiots until I clumsily trip over something and fall right on into the water with a shriek.

"Fuck! It's freezing!" It's actually not that cold, its rather refreshing, it's more the sudden shock of falling in the sea that's got me.

Emily dives in gracefully and pops up right next to me. I can't touch the bottom, but I'm not worried. I've never been much of a swimmer, but it's like my body just knows what to do, and I calmly tread water like I've done it all my life. _Guess I picked up swimming the last few years, _I think to myself.

We swim around the boat for a bit, splashing each other every now and then, enjoying the sun's rays beating down on us. Eventually the cold does get the better of both of us and Emily grabs us a couple of big fluffy beach towels. We sit up on the deck enjoying the last few rays of sunlight the day has to offer, and Emily presents us with a bottle of wine in an ice bucket and some dip and crackers. We sit like that in the sun for a while; smoking, drinking, and eating dip. Emily finds another bottle of wine and we continue to chat about anything and everything.

I feel so comfortable in her presence, and I have the urge to suddenly know more. The wine has given me a nice buzz and I'm feeling brave, so I ask her, "Will you tell me about us?"

So she does. She tells me the story of how we met, actually at my wedding with Freddie. Emily was there, of course. We didn't meet sooner as I'd only been seeing Fred a few months before he proposed. She said she saw me and that was it, it was love at first sight. She said she'd never seen such a sad and beautiful looking bride. When I questioned her about why I was sad, she said she could only assume it was because of my falling out with Effy and Cook, and my lack of satisfaction with my life and what I was doing.

She tells me of the first time we kissed; it was at an opening of a resort that they'd been working on together. Freddie was off with some wanker or other and I was bored outside having a fag. We'd been exchanging stolen glances and filthy looks for weeks, and we both seized the moment and never looked back. Emily mentions that she thought the nightclub the other day would trigger my memory of this - it didn't, but it was still beautiful.

She tells me of weekends we've spent out here on the boat and even a trip to Paris we took together last summer. She tells me that Karen covers for me a lot, that she knows I'm not happy with her brother and turns a blind eye to whatever I might be up to. Emily doesn't know quite how I can trust Karen but apparently I have reassured her that she would never betray me. I smile as Emily says this; I quite liked spending time with the bubbly socialite, even if she is a complete airhead. I make a mental note to spend some time with her next week and see what answers she can give me.

As much as I am enjoying Emily telling me about my life, about our lives, it still doesn't make sense why I would keep the affair going so long without breaking it off with Freddie. Emily says that for the first year or so I kept meaning to, time just went by so quickly that we both slipped into the comfortable, albeit unconventional lifestyle that we'd been living. We saw each other so much that time together wasn't an issue.

"Then what about recently? Why has another year gone by and I haven't done anything?" I'm persistent; I need to understand why.

Emily looks as though she's thinking very carefully about how she will answer me and I feel myself starting to get frustrated. "Please Emily, tell me what you know. I have to know!"

"Naomi, if I tell you – if I tell you everything that I know, it will be a lot to take in. You deserve to know, because I only know what you've told me anyway – but it will be a lot. Are you sure you're ready?"

"I am. I'm sick of not knowing. I'm ready Emily – tell me what you know."

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**I promise the next chapter will NOT be long! I hate to leave you with a cliffhanger like that (no i don't), but the next chapter is basically complete, I just want to make a few final tweaks. Please guys, leave me a quick review if you have a moment! Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing already. See you very soon! -Dani**


	12. Chapter 12 - A Tale of Betrayal

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"I'm ready Emily – tell me what you know."

She hesitates. "Okay, well, I don't really know where to start..."

"Start from the beginning," I demand.

"The beginning… alright. Well I suppose that everything started when you had a falling out with your friends, Cook and Effy I mean. It was right before you met Freddie. I think it was at the end of 2006?"

"The end of 2006?" I interrupt her. "That's just after the last thing I can remember from my past. My last memory is with them at a nightclub the night before my father's funeral."

"Yes, I remember you telling me it was around that period of time. You were coming to a point in your life when something had to give, you needed change desperately. You weren't happy in Bristol and school was finished; you had your dreams of university but after the funeral you said you changed. You told me that you'd said some horrible things to Cook and Effy, told them they were useless idiots going nowhere, wasting their lives. You moved to London and met Freddie in a strip club, actually."

"What the fuck? I met the guy I married in a strip club?"

"You were going through a tough time," she says seriously, although I can see the smirk trying to creep onto her face. "Anyway so you met Freddie, and I guess you weren't yourself; you guys had a whirlwind of a romance and you got married 7 months later."

"Fucks sake, I'm such a twat," I say, shaking my head at myself.

"No you're not. Like I said to you before, when I first saw you at the wedding, I knew. I loved you the moment I laid my eyes on you."

She says it so simply and honestly, without any hesitation at all. I've never been told by someone that they love me like that; with all the sincerity and honestly in their heart. It's beautiful and I feel a little tear roll down my cheek. She smiles at me and wipes it away before continuing.

"You didn't invite Effy and Cook to the wedding. You had ignored all their attempts to contact you – they even came to London to try and see you but you wouldn't let them find you. Eventually they stopped trying, and I guess they went off and started their band and started playing gigs while you were off living your life. Anyway. You and I started seeing each other, and before we knew it a year had gone by. Then last Christmas, something happened. Freddie… well, you answered his phone on Christmas day, but it wasn't a call he wanted you to take. Some woman was absolutely screaming down the line at you about how he was supposed to be there with her that day, and was accusing you of being a little whore, telling you to watch out because if you thought you were the only one you were a fool."

"Wait – what!?" I gasp. He's having an affair too? I ask Emily this but her answer surprises me.

"I'm really sorry Naoms… he's not just having an affair. He broke it off with that particular woman before she called him on Christmas day, and I guess she went all crazy ex-lover on his ass. But as far as we know, at the moment he's got women all over the place on the side. He goes to strip clubs with the other sleazebag men that we work with, he goes to brothels when he's away on business trips – it's disgusting really."

I'm horrified. I know that I am having an affair, but for some reason this seems a lot worse to me that what I'm doing or have done with Emily. As far as Emily is concerned, the two of us are in love and are meant to be together. Freddie is just off literally fucking whoever he wants, whenever he wants.

"Does he know that I know about the women?"

"No, I actually don't think he does. You were too stunned to confront him about the phone call last Christmas, and after we talked about it you decided to play detective for a bit and not mention it before you found out exactly what was going on."

"So… what did I find out?"

"Well, here's where it all comes together. See, things at work haven't been adding up these past few years. Freddie and I are business partners, and our company has grown to be one of the largest and most successful young companies in the UK. It started off as just two friends fresh from university, him and I. An architect and an interior designer. We both had similar dreams and Freddie had his family to back him up financially. I took out a loan to pay for half the cost of setting up the company, and from there we became very successful very fast. You see, Freddie might be a complete and utter cunt but he is a smooth operator and he knows people. He has brought in a lot of clients that I'm not sure I would have gotten on my own at the start of my career. It's a different story now, I know that, but I didn't believe in myself so much back then. It's been you who's helped me a lot actually, I used to be quite shy but you Naomi, you taught me to be myself."

I smile at her; I can't believe she would ever doubt herself or her talents. I've only seen a bit of what she can do but that was enough for me to know that she is incredibly good at what she does.

"Anyway, so the business - we are meant to be splitting the profits down the middle, but I had the feeling a year or two ago that things weren't exactly happening that way. Freds bought the apartment in Kensington that you live in, for a good few million, right before he met you. He travels first class wherever he goes, staying in 5 star resorts, living the lifestyle. I know that this mightn't seem so farfetched from someone who has come from extremely wealthy parents, but the truth is, his dad cut him off in university. He made an exception to help Freddie start up the company, his share that is, but that's the last time Freddie got any money from his family. He hasn't come into any inheritance as long as I've known him, so his only income should be from work, right?"

"What are you getting at Emily?" I have a good idea where she's heading with this but I need to hear her say it.

"What I'm saying, is that I live in a modest little loft style apartment in Soho. I drive a beaten up old moped and a classic BMW. It's nice car don't get me wrong, I love it, I love my apartment for that matter. But it's no Kensington multi-million dollar home. My BMW is no Aston Martin, which Freddie has sitting in a private garage in the city. Not to mention the numerous luxury vehicles in your own basement car park. I make a decent living Naomi, more than enough, but it's nowhere near enough to live the lifestyle that Freddie lives. Naomi, I think –no, I KNOW – that Fred is embezzling money from the company. I am so close to proving it too, and that's probably the biggest reason that you haven't left him yet."

"But… why? I don't understand? If he's such a sleazy criminal, what the fuck am I doing, just sitting here apparently happily married to him?" My head is absolutely spinning; I'm so shocked at what I'm hearing. Emily was right; this is a fucking massive amount to take in. But not for a second does it even cross my mind that she isn't telling the truth. I believe every word that she's saying, no matter how awful.

"Because babe, if you filed for divorce, he would figure things out, about you and I. That wouldn't be the worst thing; I actually can't wait for the day that I can see his face when he finds out. But if he knew about us, knew that we'd been having an affair, it would be clear to any of his lawyers that you knew what he was up to at work. You would be guilty babe; you'd be an accomplice to his crimes."

"How do you know what they'd think? How do you know all this?"

"Because Naomi. My sister is a lawyer. She's been helping me build the case. We've had to be very careful the last few months, because things are coming to a climax and the shit is about to hit the fan. You've been waiting for the right moment to file for divorce. If I can get the case against him ready and take him to court before you file for divorce, then it will be perfect timing. Instead of looking like the guilty wife who is having a lesbian affair with her husband's business partner, you'll be the wife whose husband is a major criminal and also a cheating scum bag with multiple indiscretions. If you filed for divorce the whole case I've been building will blow up, you and I will both look guilty; we will lose everything and probably both go to jail. I know the whole situation is ridiculously complicated but things have to be this way. Everything is coming to an end babe, and I'm so sorry that you have lost your memory at the most critical moment in both our lives, but this will all be over soon and things will be okay. We just have to stick to our plan."

I'm staring at her, trying to absorb everything she has told me. It all makes sense. Every last bit of it. Emily is completely right. If I'd filed for divorce sooner, things could have gone very badly for Emily and I, and Freddie would get away with everything. A fire burns inside of me, I'm so angry at him for being such a complete and utter twat. "So we wait then," I say finally.

"Babe, I said that this is going to happen soon and I meant it. My case is ready. I'm just waiting to hear back for the final advise before we go ahead with it. I think you've got your divorce papers filled out and ready to go, I'm not sure where you've put them but I'm sure you will find them."

My mind flashes back to the mysterious locked draw in my little desk, "I think I actually know where they are."

"Good. Then keep them hidden, just for a few more days."

"Emily… are you sure he doesn't know about us? How have we managed to keep this up for two years without him finding out?"

"He doesn't know. I don't even think he suspects a thing. He's been so busy with his own life that I really think he hasn't noticed a thing."

I nod, unable to think of anything to say. My head is spinning, too many thoughts happening at once.

"Are you okay?" she asks me gently.

"Yeah, I'm alright. This is just… it's huge news Emily. Not at all what I was expecting."

"I'm sorry, I tried to warn you."

"Don't be sorry, I needed to know all of this. I'm glad you told me."

"Do you remember any of it? Is anything coming back?"

"Unfortunately not," I sigh.

"Do you believe me?" Her eyes, searching again. I can see she is desperate for me to understand, to know. I suddenly become over aware of how absolutely stunning she is. The moonlight gently bathes her skin in silver and her green eyes sparkle brightly in the night.

I can't resist; I lean forward, sweeping the remnants of our dip and crackers out of my way, my lips crashing into hers. We kiss passionately, insatiably. Our tongues touch and electricity sparks between us. We kiss like this for god knows how long, until I become all too aware of her hands sneaking their way into the front of my underwear. I groan as she presses on my clit, a hunger awakening inside of me that I didn't know existed. I've never felt so good in my life, and I arch my back to push against her hand more, gasping as she slips two fingers inside of me.

"Oh fuck, Emily!" She fucks me, slowly. Caressing me like I am the most precious thing in the world. My clit is aching for attention and I moan. She stops kissing my lips and slowly kisses down my neck, shivers running down my spine. Her fingers continue to move inside of me and she kisses further south, over my collarbone, down my breast. Stopping to suck on my nipple before heading even slower across my stomach. My breathing is so fast I think I'm going to explode with the suspense. Her tongue gently touches my clit and I nearly scream.

She's fucking me now, urgently, like our lives depend on it. Her tongue is working its magic and before long I'm screaming out her name. I'm seeing stars, not just those above me in the sky, but literally all around me; all I know is that Emily is here and I am safe and we are perfect. The last few waves wash over me and I'm left shaking in the aftermath.

She slides up back next to me with a filthy look on her face, and we kiss passionately. Suddenly, I'm laughing – laughing like a fucking idiot but I don't care. I feel absolutely fantastic and it's all because of her.

"Emily, I love you!," I declare suddenly. And I really do. It's crazy falling for someone so fast, but I do. I've always known, from the moment I saw her.

She smiles broadly before answering me, "I love you too Naomi, more than anything."

We stay like that for the rest of the night, curled up together on the deck under the stars, a blanket wrapped over us, until we fall asleep in each other's arms; just me and Emily, with nothing or no one but the sea around us.

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**I hope that answers some questions! I'm back to uni this week so I can't promise the next chapter quite so quickly, but I want to say thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this story all this time! Please leave a review if you have a moment, it will keep me wanting to pump out the next update as quickly as I can! - Dani**


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